Kasirzadeh and Gabriel propose graded profiles rather than a simple divide between agents and non-agents. Autonomy, effectiveness, goal complexity and generality illuminate distinct questions of design, deployment and governance.
This is a conceptual framework for characterisation, not a rating that certifies system safety. Nature’s abstract is freely available; a full-text preprint by the authors, dated 30 April 2025, presents the framework.
Why does this concern our research?
Clarifying what a system can decide, accomplish and generalise helps define proportionate permissions and oversight mechanisms. Functional agency and legal personhood nevertheless remain distinct concepts.