As the world grapples with how best to manage the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), some of Colorado Law’s leading scholars and students examined the legal issues it presents at a November conference cohosted by Colorado Law and the College of Law at the United Arab Emirates University.
The conference highlighted challenges and opportunities that societies face as they move toward the use of AI.
Associate Professor Craig Konnoth, whose work lies at the intersection of health law and policy and civil rights, addressed several of these challenges in his presentation, "The Rise of the Robot Doctor: Promises and Pitfalls of AI in Medicine."
Legal writing professor Amy Bauer moderated a roundtable discussion on the future of law in the era of AI with panelists Amie Stepanovich, executive director of Colorado Law’s Silicon Flatirons Center, and students Freddy Steimling ('20) and Kristi Tammiku (LLM'20).
"AI, like other forms of emerging technology, captivates people of all cultures, walks of life, and nationalities because of its wide-ranging applications, which encompass everything from surveillance to access to justice and human rights initiatives," said Steimling, who is managing editor of the Colorado Technology Law Journal (CTLJ). "An important takeaway from the conference generally, and our roundtable discussion in particular, is that while AI has already delivered major social improvements, and will continue to do so in the future, its potential for abuse when employed by bad actors cannot be discounted. It was refreshing to hear a diverse group of researchers recognize this certitude."
The CTLJ will publish several papers from conference presenters in its spring 2020 issue.