AI Law and Policy

Catalog description

This course will examine the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in several domains, and how regulators, legislators, and courts are addressing it. We will also focus on normative dimensions of the field of law and technology, and how they inform debates about automated decisionmaking and generative AI. We will begin with an overview of the methods and technologies encompassed by the generic term AI (including expert systems, big data, predictive analytics, machine learning, and generative AI), and will compare computational and legal thinking. To develop the concept of computational thinking, distinctions between algorithmic and non-algorithmic thought will be explored. Since AI is based on data, we will examine data protection laws. To address public sector concerns, we will explore the virtues and limits of government use of AI, in areas ranging from benefits adjudication to criminal sentencing. The following topics may also be included: a) liability and reimbursement for health care AI, ranging from advanced clinical decision support to mental health apps to robotic caregivers; b) regulation of AI in finance; c) intellectual property and AI; d) military applications of AI, e) AI in employment, f) current controversies, including AI in the news. While the course will focus on US law, other jurisdictions' approaches will also be explored. Evaluation will be based on a final exam and class participation.