This course offers the opportunity to learn more about artificial intelligence (AI). Many consider the development of AI equivalent to the Industrial Revolution. We will demystify AI, machine learning (ML), and generative AI (GenAI). This course provides a comprehensive examination of the legal, ethical, and policy challenges presented by AI. AI is transforming legal practice and requires us to reevaluate traditional doctrines in subject areas ranging from torts to ethics to intellectual property to dispute resolution. We will address questions such as: when a large language model trains on billions of copyrighted works, is that infringement or a transformative fair use? What happens when an AI system causes harm, and do traditional tort law doctrines like negligence and strict liability apply? We will review and analyze the emerging regulatory landscape, contrasting the United States and the European Union, for example. We will critically assess how AI can be used within the justice system and what impact it is having on the legal profession in general.
The course will be very interactive. We will explore how students use AI in their jobs and in their own lives. The course will provide students with the critical and informed perspective required to advise future clients, participate in policymaking, and use AI ethically and responsibly. Lawyers must understand limitations of AI tools to use those tools ethically and effectively.