Delaware Proposes Allowing AI Agent-Operated Businesses with a 30-Month Sandbox
Delaware is planning to relax commercial regulations to allow AI agent-operated businesses, establishing a 30-month regulatory sandbox for them to test commercial decisions. Meanwhile, U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has raised concerns, writing a letter to Delaware Governor Matt Meyer to warn about potential liability risks. This development represents a major legal and policy precedent regarding AI autonomy in corporate governance. It seeks to provide legal certainty for autonomous business structures while balancing innovation against federal concerns over accountability. Under the drafted framework, AI-operated businesses will be subject to a 30-month regulatory sandbox where they can operate in a controlled environment, make commercial decisions, and participate in lawsuits as either plaintiffs or defendants.
## BACKGROUND
An AI agent is an autonomous software system capable of perceiving its environment, making decisions, and executing complex tasks without constant human intervention. A regulatory sandbox is a controlled testing mechanism that provides a temporary period exempt from certain regulatory requirements, allowing innovative products or services to be tested safely in the market.