---
title: SB 488. Torts; generative artificial intelligence systems shall constitute personal property for purposes of certain actions for product liability alleging injury to a minor; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb488
cite_as: SB 488, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb488
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb488.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb488/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73067
date: 2026-03-06
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 235
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb488.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 488
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-10
last_action: Senate Tabled
sponsors:
- Ed Setzler
- Marty Harbin
- Sally Harrell
- Brian Strickland
- Elena Parent
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB488/2025
upstream_id: 2113600
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- artificial intelligence
- product liability
- child safety
- tort law
- AI regulation
---
# SB 488. Torts; generative artificial intelligence systems shall constitute personal property for purposes of certain actions for product liability alleging injury to a minor; provide
## Text
Senate Bill 488
By: Senators Setzler of the 37th, Harbin of the 16th, Harrell of the 40th, Strickland of the
42nd and Parent of the 44th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 1 of Title 51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions relative to torts, so as to provide that generative artificial intelligence
systems shall constitute personal property for purposes of certain actions for product liability
alleging injury to a minor; to provide for liability of product sellers in such actions; to
establish rebuttable presumptions relative to manufacturers and product sellers in such
actions; to provide for definitions; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 1 of Title 51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general
provisions relative to torts, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"51-1-11.2.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Generative artificial intelligence system' means a computer based system that uses
machine learning and is intended to generate, with some degree of autonomy, synthetic
content and information, including, but not limited to, text, images, videos, audio, codes,
prompts, commands, instructions, directions, and other forms of content and information.
(2) 'Minor' means an individual who is under 18 years of age and who is not
emancipated.
(3) 'Product seller' shall have the same meaning as provided for in Code
Section 51-1-11.1.
(b) For purposes of an action for product liability based in whole or in part on the doctrine
of strict liability in tort that alleges a minor used, consumed, or was reasonably affected by
a generative artificial intelligence system and he or she suffered an injury to his or her
person or property because such generative artificial intelligence system when sold by a
manufacturer or product seller was not merchantable and reasonably suited to the use
intended, and its condition when sold was the proximate cause of the injury sustained, such
generative artificial intelligence system shall constitute personal property, as such term is
used in Code Section 51-1-11.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of Code Section 51-1-11 or 51-1-11.1 to the contrary,
a product seller of a generative artificial intelligence system that is the subject of an action
for product liability provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section may be liable in
damages to the minor so injured.
(d) In any action for product liability provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section,
there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the manufacturer and the product seller of such
generative artificial intelligence system had a duty to warn of the risk of such injury
sustained."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2027, and shall apply to all causes of action
accruing on and after such date.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia Senate bill would let minors and their families sue makers and sellers of generative artificial intelligence systems under product liability law by treating those AI systems as personal property, similar to a defective toy or appliance.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia's product liability law (O.C.G.A. § 51-1-11) generally lets people sue over defective personal property, like a faulty appliance, that causes injury. It is not clear under current law whether an AI system, which is software rather than a physical object, counts as personal property for these lawsuits. This bill answers that question for one specific situation: when a minor is injured after using, consuming, or being affected by a generative AI system that was not fit for its intended use when sold.
The bill adds a new Code section declaring that in these cases, the generative AI system counts as personal property, opening the door to strict liability claims. It also lets product sellers, not just manufacturers, be held liable, and it creates a rebuttable presumption that both manufacturers and sellers had a duty to warn about the risk of injury. The bill defines 'generative artificial intelligence system' broadly to include systems that produce text, images, video, audio, or code. It would take effect January 1, 2027, and apply only to injuries occurring on or after that date.
### What it does
- Declares that generative AI systems count as personal property for a specific type of product liability lawsuit involving injury to a minor, under O.C.G.A. § 51-1-11.
- Allows product sellers, in addition to manufacturers, to be held liable in damages when a minor is injured by a defective generative AI system.
- Creates a rebuttable presumption (one that can be challenged with evidence) that manufacturers and sellers had a duty to warn minors of injury risks from these AI systems.
- Defines 'generative artificial intelligence system' broadly to cover software that autonomously creates text, images, video, audio, code, or similar content.
- Limits the new rules to minors under 18 who are not emancipated and to injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2027.
### Who it affects
Companies that build or sell generative AI systems, families of minors injured by such systems, and Georgia courts handling product liability lawsuits. It also affects lawyers litigating these claims, since the bill changes what counts as property and who can be sued.
### Why it matters
Because AI software does not clearly fit existing legal definitions of personal property, injured minors and their families may currently struggle to bring product liability claims against AI companies. This bill would give them a clearer legal path, while also expanding potential liability exposure for AI developers and the businesses that sell their products.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code Section 51-1-11.2, defining 'generative artificial intelligence system' and 'minor' (under 18, not emancipated) for purposes of this law.
- Subsection (b) states that a generative AI system counts as personal property in a strict liability product claim brought by an injured minor, if the system was not merchantable or suited to its intended use when sold.
- Subsection (c) allows product sellers, not just manufacturers, to be held liable in damages to the injured minor, overriding contrary language in existing Code Sections 51-1-11 and 51-1-11.1.
- Subsection (d) creates a rebuttable presumption that manufacturers and product sellers had a duty to warn of the injury risk in these cases.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as January 1, 2027, applying only to causes of action accruing on or after that date.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-10)
- Last action: Senate Tabled (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Ed Setzler, Marty Harbin, Sally Harrell, Brian Strickland, Elena Parent
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73067
> The history, votes, and amendments (235 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb488.md?full=1