Course 2024-2025 a.y.

50323 - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE LAW

Department of Law

Course taught in English

Class timetable
Exam timetable
Go to class group/s: 31
CLMG (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - M (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - IM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - MM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - AFC (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - CLELI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - ACME (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - DES-ESS (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - EMIT (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - GIO (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - DSBA (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - PPA (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - FIN (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04) - AI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  IUS/04)
Course Director:
MARIA LILLA' MONTAGNANI

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: MARIA LILLA' MONTAGNANI


Suggested background knowledge

No prerequisites are needed

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can lead to fundamental discoveries, opening up new possibilities, and significantly improving the lives of many – in particular by bringing major benefits to our society and economy through better healthcare, more efficient public administration, stronger democratic processes, safer transport, a more competitive industry and sustainable farming. Machine-learning, for example, can be used to make more accurate and faster medical diagnoses and surgeries, carry out dangerous and repetitive tasks, and free up valuable time. This scenario has its drawbacks. In particular, it raises challenges for regulators and policymakers that have to face the ontological difficulty of foreseeing and possibly controlling the impact of AI on economy and society, to make sure that they are human-centric, ethical, explainable, sustainable and respectful of fundamental rights and values. Against this background, the mission of the course is to provide an understanding of the legal implications of AI and how the current legal framework is facing the challenges that it raises.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course focuses on specific topics related to the AI, at EU level and offering, when possible, a comparison with the North-American developments. 

It covers the following topics:

  • AI and data: how it works, features and challenges 

  • AI and specific areas of private law (for example: IP law, competition and consumer law, financial markets law) 

  • AI and liability


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

  • Understand the challenges raises by the use of AI to the current legal framework 

  • Discuss the solutions currently adopted to deal with AI at EU level as well as, in relation to specific aspects, also in the US 

  • Identify the relationship between the challenges raised and the solutions adopted 

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

  • Identify the specific issues the use of AI raises in certain sectors 

  • Apply the current legal framework to scenarios of liability for damages caused by the use of AI 

  • Choose the valid data law framework for AI 

  • Interact in a constructive way and think critically 


Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Interaction/Gamification

DETAILS

The learning experience of this course includes, in addition to face-to-face lectures, the solution in class of scenarios assigned to students throughout the course. Those exercises will allow students to apply the provisions illustrated during the course in the light of the policy goals pursued. Moreover, stylized cases will be proposed to students and discussed in class with the purpose of applying the rules explained during the course to understand the current rules.


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
     x
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
 x    

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

With the purpose of measuring the acquisition of the above-mentioned learning outcomes, the students’ assessment is based on a final written exam: 

  1. Written exam (100% of the final grade), consisting of 2 open questions aimed to assess students’ ability to illustrate the solutions currently adopted to deal with AI at EU level in relation to the policy goals pursued. The exam will also include a short scenario case, aimed to assess students’ ability to apply the current framework to possible cases raised by AI use. 

  2. Extra: in addition to the final exam mark and on top of it, students can be awarded up to 4 extra points for their active participation in small teaching groups (i.e. tutorials). 

 

There is no difference in the assessment between attending and non-attending students. Students’ assessment will be based on the written exam aimed to assess students’ understanding and ability to illustrate the solutions currently adopted to deal with AI at EU level.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Given the innovative nature of the course, a selection of article, papers, and policy report will be uploaded on blackboard.

Last change 09/01/2025 16:46