True
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that when artificial intelligence causes accidents, the responsibility lies with humans, and cautioned companies not to expect the government to indemnify them. The remarks fix accountability for AI failures on the people and companies that build and operate the systems, while signaling that no government shield will absorb the fallout from AI-related harm.
Bessent drew a straight line from AI accidents to human responsibility. Under that framing, an AI system itself carries no liability: the developers, deployers and operators behind it do. The position places any legal and financial consequences of a failure with the private parties involved rather than with the technology.
The Treasury secretary paired the principle with a blunt warning: do not expect indemnification from the government. Companies working with AI should therefore plan to bear the costs of accidents on their own, without counting on Washington to stand behind them. For firms commercializing AI systems, the stance removes one potential layer of downside protection, leaving liability exposure — not a public guarantee — as the operative constraint on the industry.
The verdict on Bessent's statement: True.
