Legal, Regulatory, and Policy Considerations Around AI Technologies

Description

This course aims to equip students with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital age and understand the incredibly tough choices we - both as individuals and society as a whole - have to make with respect to the regulation, development, and societal adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to ensure they are beneficial for humanity and our environment. The course focuses on key policy concerns and regulatory considerations related to AI and technological innovation more generally. Reviewing the challenges associated with previous waves of technological innovations, we consider the properties of a regulatory and policy stance that is conducive to the safe adoption of new technologies. We then examine current policy and regulatory initiatives around responsible and trustworthy AI (e.g., OECD AI Principles, EU AI Act Proposal, AI standardization work). Based on regulatory theory - and AI regulation and governance in particular - we familiarize ourselves with the multitude of considerations necessary for effective regulatory intervention in general. Case studies spark thought-provoking, interactive reflection on the real-world problems stemming from AI. Complementing this theoretical background, the course also covers some practical issues, e.g., real-life examples of how AI principles are implemented within an organization from setting top strategic priorities down to collaborating with a variety of stakeholders and designing specific product features.