The PACE Firewall: A Diagnostic Account of the Legal ScreeningMechanism for Claims of Subjectivity in Artificial Intelligence andNeurotechnology
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 20, 2026 Hanoi Towerz
Legal systems process claims of subjectivity from AI or neurotechnology through divergent regulatory pathways, but they share a structural vulnerability: institutional design fixates on a single condition, treating 'subject-status' (personhood) rather than the screening mechanism itself as the basic unit of analysis. The paper identifies this recurring structure that law uses when screening claims of subjectivity, without resolving the ontological question of consciousness. The author drafted the work with generative AI assistance for literature verification and structural argument development, retaining sole responsibility for all claims and conclusions.