The regulation and standardisation of autonomous systems are currently not keeping pace with technological developments. As a result, the legal framework in this domain is insufficiently clear to many manufacturers. As part of the “Innovation Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence”, a guideline was developed which provides an overview of the most important questions.
The goal of the present guidelines is to clarify legal questions in relation to autonomous systems. The focus is on autonomous ground vehicles and systems for commercial purposes, potentially in operation in public spaces.
The guidelines are primarily designed for manufacturers with a strong focus on product development. These manufacturers often have limited know-how and resources available to dedicate to clarifying regulatory aspects, or to have these aspects clarified for them. With that in mind, the purpose of these guidelines is to provide an overview of the most important questions, and to serve as an entry point for a more in-depth and manufacture-specific exploration of the topic. The present guidelines are exclusively for manufacturers in Switzerland.