Distributed Legal Infrastructure for a Trustworthy Agentic Web

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2603.06884v1
• Date: Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:03:32 GMT
• Title: Distributed Legal Infrastructure for a Trustworthy Agentic Web
• Abstract summary: The agentic web marks a structural transition from a human-centered information network to a digital environment populated by artificial intelligence (AI) agents.<n>This article advances a distributed legal infrastructure (DLI), a governance paradigm composed of five interlocking layers.<n>This reference framework contributes to emerging research on embedding legality within agentic web infrastructure.
• Score: 3.8915860916475165
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
• Abstract: The agentic web marks a structural transition from a human-centered information network to a digital environment populated by artificial intelligence (AI) agents that perceive, decide, and act autonomously. As delegated action unfolds at machine speed, exceeds discrete moments of human judgment, and distributes decision-making across non-human actors, existing legal frameworks face growing strain, creating an urgent need for new mechanisms capable of sustaining legality in this emerging order. A trustworthy agentic web therefore depends on the infrastructuring of legality through interoperable protocols that organize identity, delegation, and accountability across systems, enabling coherent governance beyond isolated platforms. Towards this end, this article advances a distributed legal infrastructure (DLI), a governance paradigm composed of five interlocking layers: (1) self-sovereign, soulbound agent identities; (2) cognitive AI logic and constraint systems; (3) decentralized adjudication mechanisms for dispute resolution; (4) bottom-up agentic market regulation to mitigate information asymmetries and network effects, including insurance-based models; and (5) portable institutional frameworks that enable legal interoperability while preserving plural sources of authority. This reference framework contributes to emerging research on embedding legality within agentic web infrastructure, aligning distributed technical systems with accountability, contestability, and rule-of-law principles.

Related papers

• Blockchain Empowered Trustworthy Agent Networks: Foundations, Taxonomy, and Future Directions [47.65093774088672]
  This survey and tutorial article reviews the literature over the period 1980--2026 on the evolution from classical multi-agent systems to open agent networks.<n>We first review this evolution and show how the trust boundary expands from individual execution to cross-agent, cross-platform, and cross-organizational interaction.<n>We develop a five-dimensional taxonomy covering entity and capability trust, authorization and delegation trust, information and trust, coordination and group-robustness trust, and accountability and settlement trust.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-08-05T09:32:35Z)
• Neuro-Symbolic Participation Governance for Verifiable AI Agents in Open Digital Twin Ecosystems [12.774828297549467]
  Existing multi-agent systems often lack robust verification for identity, capability, and policy compliance.<n>This paper proposes a neuro-symbolic decentralized governance framework for verifiable agents in collaborative digital twin environments.<n>Our findings suggest that neuro-symbolic decentralized governance provides a scalable and trustworthy pathway for safe human-machine collaboration.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-08-02T02:30:32Z)
• Accountable yet Anonymous AI Agents - Split-Knowledge Binding in National Agent-Identity Layer in China [6.3339885940188445]
  We document a national system in China built as national infrastructure and scheduled for public launch in Q3 2026.<n>Agents are associated with a verified legal principal without that principal being disclosed to any business-layer participant.<n>System is evidence of feasibility at national scale; the framework is the instrument by which any deployment -- including this one -- should be judged.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-07-25T13:58:16Z)
• Overlaying Governance: A Compositional Authorization Framework for Delegation and Scope in Agentic AI [5.459755757192724]
  This paper proposes a compositional governance framework for agentic AI systems.<n>We define types of delegation and their permissions and accountability implications.<n>It provides a formal yet practical foundation for accountable authorization in agentic AI systems.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-06-02T11:39:39Z)
• Foundation Protocol: A Coordination Layer for Agentic Society [78.01727114524464]
  Foundation Protocol (FP) is a graph-first coordination layer for an emerging human-AI society.<n>FP unifies heterogeneous entities, including agents, tools, resources, humans, institutions, and organizations.<n>The aim is to keep autonomous agency composable while keeping accountability non-negotiable.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-05-22T04:20:35Z)
• A pragmatic approach to regulating AI agents [0.7276372008305616]
  We argue that the unique capacity of agents to autonomously reason, plan, and execute tasks requires a shift in oversight toward the orchestration layer.<n>Our proposals highlight the need for robust accountability mechanisms to manage this heightened autonomy.<n>We advocate for a "traffic light" system of staggered task authorization based on operational risk and the creation of a statutory list of non-delegable legal acts.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-04-16T13:04:52Z)
• Security, privacy, and agentic AI in a regulatory view: From definitions and distinctions to provisions and reflections [53.468443050795344]
  The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has led to a dynamic regulatory landscape.<n>As AI paradigms shift towards greater autonomy, specifically in the form of agentic AI, it becomes increasingly challenging to articulate regulatory stipulations.<n>This paper reviews the evolving European Union (EU) AI regulatory provisions via analyzing 24 relevant documents published between 2024 and 2025.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-03-19T13:50:52Z)
• Sovereign Agents: Towards Infrastructural Sovereignty and Diffused Accountability in Decentralized AI [1.5755923640031846]
  We propose infrastructural sovereignty as an analytic lens for understanding how cryptographic self-custody, decentralized execution environments, and protocol-mediated continuity scaffold agentic sovereignty.<n>We argue that sovereignty in such systems exists on a spectrum determined by infrastructural hardness-the degree to which underlying technical systems resist intervention or collapse.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-02-16T17:30:17Z)
• Web3 x AI Agents: Landscape, Integrations, and Foundational Challenges [49.69200207497795]
  The convergence of Web3 technologies and AI agents represents a rapidly evolving frontier poised to reshape decentralized ecosystems.<n>This paper presents the first and most comprehensive analysis of the intersection between Web3 and AI agents, examining five critical dimensions: landscape, economics, governance, security, and trust mechanisms.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-08-04T15:44:58Z)
• Agentic Web: Weaving the Next Web with AI Agents [109.13815627467514]
  The emergence of AI agents powered by large language models (LLMs) marks a pivotal shift toward the Agentic Web.<n>In this paradigm, agents interact directly with one another to plan, coordinate, and execute complex tasks on behalf of users.<n>We present a structured framework for understanding and building the Agentic Web.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-07-28T17:58:12Z)
• Internet of Agents: Fundamentals, Applications, and Challenges [68.9543153075464]
  We introduce the Internet of Agents (IoA) as a foundational framework that enables seamless interconnection, dynamic discovery, and collaborative orchestration among heterogeneous agents at scale.<n>We analyze the key operational enablers of IoA, including capability notification and discovery, adaptive communication protocols, dynamic task matching, consensus and conflict-resolution mechanisms, and incentive models.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-05-12T02:04:37Z)
• Media and responsible AI governance: a game-theoretic and LLM analysis [61.132523071109354]
  This paper investigates the interplay between AI developers, regulators, users, and the media in fostering trustworthy AI systems.<n>Using evolutionary game theory and large language models (LLMs), we model the strategic interactions among these actors under different regulatory regimes.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-03-12T21:39:38Z)
• Governing AI Agents [0.2913760942403036]
  Article looks at the economic theory of principal-agent problems and the common law doctrine of agency relationships.<n>It identifies problems arising from AI agents, including issues of information asymmetry, discretionary authority, and loyalty.<n>It argues that new technical and legal infrastructure is needed to support governance principles of inclusivity, visibility, and liability.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-01-14T07:55:18Z)
• Decentralized Governance of Autonomous AI Agents [0.0]
  ETHOS is a decentralized governance (DeGov) model leveraging Web3 technologies, including blockchain, smart contracts, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs)<n>It establishes a global registry for AI agents, enabling dynamic risk classification, proportional oversight, and automated compliance monitoring.<n>By integrating philosophical principles of rationality, ethical grounding, and goal alignment, ETHOS aims to create a robust research agenda for promoting trust, transparency, and participatory governance.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-12-22T18:01:49Z)
• Distributed Governance: a Principal-Agent Approach to Data Governance -- Part 1 Background & Core Definitions [0.0]
  We provide a model to evolve Data governance toward Information governance. This model bridges digital and non-digital information exchange. We provide a framework to deploy a distributed governance model embedding checks and balance between human and technological governance.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-08-14T17:12:07Z)
• Regulation conform DLT-operable payment adapter based on trustless - justified trust combined generalized state channels [77.34726150561087]
  Economy of Things (EoT) will be based on software agents running on peer-to-peer trustless networks. We give an overview of current solutions that differ in their fundamental values and technological possibilities. We propose to combine the strengths of the crypto based, decentralized trustless elements with established and well regulated means of payment.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-07-03T10:45:55Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.