Host- LIS (Law, Innovation and Society Research Group, Newcastle University Law School) Tuesday 16 May 2017, 12:00-18:00 Venue: Newcastle Law School Conference Room Lunch provided from 12:00 The rapid emergence of Artificial Intelligence and'expert systems' poses wide-ranging and often entirely novel challenges for both the law and for society. This symposium aims to explore the nature of some of these problems, looking at their basis and their implications for the future; as well as the primary areas of focus for effective research into and regulation of this potentially epochal technology. The symposium will have a significant component of discussion, and all with an interest are welcome to join us and take part.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is coming at us before we fully understand what it might mean. Established ways of doing things in areas like transport regulation, crime prevention and legal practice are being challenged by new technologies such as driverless cars, crime prediction software and "AI lawyers". The possible implications of AI innovations for law and public policy in New Zealand will be teased out in a new, ground-breaking Law Foundation study. The three-year multi-disciplinary project, supported by a $400,000 Law Foundation grant, is being run out of the University of Otago. Project team leader Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan of the Faculty of Law says that AI technologies – essentially, technologies that can learn and adapt for themselves – pose fascinating legal, practical and ethical challenges.