The Law and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most hyped technologies of our time, and is gradually being integrated in all societal domains. Along with opportunities, its development and use also raises ethical and legal concerns, to which regulators across the world are paying increased attention. Both domestically and globally, policy initiatives to address AI’s risks are mushrooming. These initiatives are meant to complement, reinterpret or expand the rules and principles that already govern AI, and to ensure that the legal framework remains up to date.  

This course will examine the law and ethics of artificial intelligence. The first part of the course explores why we might want to regulate AI. The themes will evolve from year to year in response to current events. Topics may include fairness, equality, privacy, human dignity, work, creativity, intimacy, market power, democracy, and the rule of law. The second part of the course delves into how AI can be regulated. It assesses the regulatory toolbox available to policymakers and the challenges they face in addressing AI-related concerns. This will be illustrated through discussions and comparisons of legal frameworks governing AI across various jurisdictions — such as, e.g., Canada, the European Union, the United States, and China — as well as international policy initiatives.