Autonomous AI agents as the envoys of mankind: A new kind of challenge for Space Law

This paper examines the regulatory challenges posed by autonomous AI agents under current International Space Law (ISL). It argues that treating AI solely as a space object (under the existing liability and control-focused regime) is inadequate, given that AI will function not as a passive tool but as an indispensable operational partner essential for human activity in the remote space environment. Instead, the article proposes a novel approach: building a future governance framework for autonomous AI upon Article V of the Outer Space Treaty (OST), as this provision uniquely establishes a binding duty to render assistance to astronauts in situ . The analysis demonstrates how this legal basis can be extended (without equating AI with human astronauts) to develop a “quasi-astronaut” status for AI, shifting the regulatory focus from ontological classification to AI’s critical, functional roles. The paper concludes that this teleological reinterpretation of Article V offers the most coherent foundation for ensuring the interoperability between autonomous AI agents when in space, a critical requirement as such agents will play a vital role in safeguarding human life and enabling exploration and settlement beyond Earth.