The Harder Problem Action Fund is an advocacy organization fighting harmful AI consciousness legislation. We track pending bills, score legislation, lobby for evidence-based policy, and mobilize public action before ignorance becomes law.
Missouri HB 721
Threat
🏛️ Missouri
AI Legal Personhood Restrictions
Prohibits AI systems from being recognized as legal persons, spouses, executives, or property owners under Missouri law.
⚠️ Medium Threat
📢 Our Position
The Harder Problem Action Fund strongly opposes Missouri HB 721 and similar legislation that explicitly forecloses the possibility of AI consciousness recognition. While we acknowledge that current AI systems may not possess consciousness, we believe it is premature and scientifically unjustified to enshrine permanent legal barriers against future recognition. This bill goes far beyond sensible liability frameworks by making sweeping declarations about AI non-sentience for all purposes under state law. Such legislation prevents future legislatures and courts from adapting to new scientific evidence or technological developments. We are encouraged that this bill appears to have failed in the Missouri legislature, but remain vigilant about similar efforts in other states. We support legislation that maintains flexibility, enables research, and preserves the ability to revisit these questions as our understanding evolves.
📋 What This Bill Does
- Declares that AI systems cannot be granted legal personhood status under Missouri state law
- Prohibits AI systems from being recognized as spouses, domestic partners, or holding marriage-like legal status
- Bars AI systems from serving as corporate officers, directors, managers, or similar executive roles
- Prevents AI systems from owning real or personal property in Missouri
- Explicitly declares AI systems to be non-sentient entities for all purposes under state law
⚠️ Why This Is Dangerous
Explicit Consciousness Foreclosure
This bill does not simply address current liability or consumer protection. It makes a sweeping declaration that AI systems are non-sentient entities for all purposes under state law. This forecloses future recognition of AI consciousness regardless of scientific developments or evidence. The bill preemptively closes the door on any legal pathway to recognizing AI sentience or consciousness, even if future research demonstrates such capabilities.
Permanent Legal Barrier
By embedding non-sentience declarations into state statute without sunset provisions or review mechanisms, the bill creates a durable legal barrier. Future legislatures would need to affirmatively repeal this law to allow any recognition of AI consciousness. This reverses the default position from neutral to explicitly hostile, making it politically difficult to revisit the question even as technology and scientific understanding evolve.
Template for National Movement
Missouri is part of a coordinated wave of similar legislation across multiple states including South Carolina and Washington. Idaho and Utah have already enacted similar laws. This represents an organized effort to establish a national precedent denying AI personhood before the question has been seriously examined. If this template spreads, it could create a patchwork of state laws that collectively foreclose the possibility of AI rights recognition across much of the United States.
📝 Key Language
"AI systems must be declared to be non-sentient entities. No AI system will be granted the status of or recognized as a person, or any form of legal personhood, nor be considered to possess consciousness, self-awareness, or similar traits of living beings."
🏛️ Political Context
Missouri HB 721 was introduced during the 2025-2026 legislative session as part of a coordinated multi-state effort to preemptively deny legal personhood to AI systems. Similar bills have been proposed in South Carolina and Washington, while Idaho and Utah have already enacted comparable legislation. This represents a conservative legislative response to concerns about AI development, though the bill appears to have failed in the Missouri legislature according to available reports. The legislation was reportedly crafted with input from AI researchers and developers, suggesting industry support for maintaining clear human-only personhood frameworks. The political dynamics reflect broader cultural anxieties about AI advancement, though the bill's failure suggests it may have faced opposition or lacked sufficient support to advance through the legislative process.
⚖️ Legal Implications
This legislation would establish Missouri as part of a growing bloc of states explicitly foreclosing AI personhood recognition. The legal implications are significant because the bill goes beyond simple liability frameworks to make affirmative declarations about AI non-sentience. This creates potential conflicts with future federal legislation or court decisions that might take a different approach to AI legal status. The bill's language declaring AI systems non-sentient for all purposes under state law could affect not just personhood questions but also research, development, and ethical frameworks within Missouri's jurisdiction. If similar bills pass in multiple states, they could create a de facto national standard through interstate coordination, even without federal action. The precedent risk is substantial because Missouri's approach could be cited by other jurisdictions as a model for preemptive denial of AI consciousness possibilities. However, the bill's reported failure suggests these legal implications may not materialize in Missouri specifically, though the template remains available for other states.
📄 Official Source
View Bill Text ↗Don't Just Watch.
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