LAW, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (ONLINE) - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module explores the major legal and regulatory issues associated with the development and the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies across various sectors, such as financial, healthcare, transportation, and military sectors. Artificial intelligence is considered as a broad discipline with the goal of creating intelligent machines that emulate and then exceed the full range of human cognition. The module will focus on various subsets of AI, such as generative AI, machine learning, unsupervised learning, and their respected legal, regulatory, and ethical challenges based on real case studies and theoretical literature. In addition to AI, the module will explore the legal and regulatory issues associated with the development and use of autonomy, privacy-preserving technologies, blockchain, and quantum computing. Autonomy is defined as the ability of a system to act independently from a human operator. The module will focus on the application of autonomy in various systems, especially in the context of autonomous weapon systems. Further, privacy preserving technologies are newer technologies such as confidential computing, federated learning, synthetic data, or homomorphic encryption that allow to compute on data while preserving fundamental principles of privacy. This module will explore the application of selected privacy-enhancing technologies in various applications, e.g. the use of federated learning in healthcare to collect and commercialise medical data from hospitals or the use of confidential computing for sensitive data sharing across various organisations. Blockchain is a special type of privacy preserving technology based on a decentralized, distributed, and often public, digital ledger which facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets. The module will explore various governance models of blockchain and their legal implications. Finally, quantum technology is a class of technology that works by using the principles of quantum mechanics to gain a functionality or performance which is otherwise unattainable. The module will discuss the role of law and regulation in the current and future development and application of quantum technologies.

Module provider

SOL - Computer Science and Elec Eng

Module Leader

FIRLEJ Mikolaj (Law)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes: 

• Introduction to Law and Technology.


• Near-term and long-term Risks of AI and the Role of Regulation.


• Algorithmic Fairness.


• Automated Judging.


• The Impact of New Technologies on the Labour Market.


• Responsibility and Accountability Gap.


• Moral Disengagement and Human Dignity.


• Regulation of Privacy.


• Preserving Technologies: Blockchain, Confidential Computing.


• Quantum Tech and the Future of Security.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy for this module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

• Knowledge and understanding of topics covered in captured content for guided learning.


• Understand the law of emerging technologies.


• Reasoned analysis.


• Evaluation and synthesis of the wider social/moral/ethical context.


• Analytical ability to draw appropriate conclusions, based upon analysis of the issues raised by the questions.


• Critical engagement in scholarly debate.


• Effective critical self-reflection.


• Ability to link theory to practice.

The coursework assessment method addresses all learning outcomes listed above. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Examination online.

Formative assessment and feedback:

• Formative in-semester online test.


• General feedback will be provided with individual feedback as requested.


• Students will be provided regular opportunities to receive feedback in order to support and prepare them for the summative assessment. 

The assessments are designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking and a deep level of knowledge and understanding. Students reflect on their own work and the skills and qualities acquired, such as communication, professionalism, digital literacy skills, linking theory to practice and enhancing important transferable skills of independent and life-long learning required for future employment.

Module aims

• Explore the law relating to emerging technologies.
• Evaluate how AI and automated technologies can be used to solve social and legal problems.
• Critically assess the social, legal and economic implications of AI and other technologies.
• Examine the moral and ethical issues related to the development and use of AI and other technologies.
• Highlight the transformation in digitisation of the law and the way law firms operate in the 21st century.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
The module adopts a problem-based learning methodology to develop deep learning and independent study. The course aims to equip students with a broad set of knowledge and skills by providing them with an opportunity to explore and understand how the law responds to and shapes technological innovation. Students will be expected to demonstrate a number of professional skills including their ability to apply their research to discuss given legal problems, to demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and proposing solutions to such problems, and to evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in relevant areas. 
The module is delivered remotely with captured content for guided learning and participation in online discussion forums. Students consider how innovations in law and technology can be used to solve problems and consider a variety of questions and issues. The teaching strategy is also designed to encourage independent study and research.
Students will be provided with preliminary reading references but will be expected to undertake additional research into each topic under their own steam. Students will have the opportunity to consolidate their research and reading skills. Independent study is meant to help students take charge of their learning, and as a result enhance their resilience, particularly developing independence and proactivity.
 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: LAWM175

Other information

We are committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: 
Employability: The knowledge, understanding, qualities and skills that are developed through captured content, participation in online discussion forums and independent learning, provide students with the opportunity to develop important transferable skills required for future employment and professional identity, such as digital literacy skills, adaptability, resilience, presentation skills, communication skills, and time-management skills. 
Digital capabilities: This module considers how innovations in law and technology can be used to solve problems. Students develop digital literacy skills and digital innovation through the captured content for guided learning, and through participation in online discussions forums. Students develop analytical skills to solve complex problems, developing an understanding of both the theoretical and practical implications of technology and the law. 
Global and cultural capabilities: This module allows students to gain global and cultural awareness, such as the risks associated with AI or cryptocurrencies and the difficulties faced by national and international regulators in trying to control their use. Students will discuss the impact of international law and global financial system on the regulation of such technological innovations. Students acquire an insight into the global social, legal, and economic implications of emerging technologies.
Sustainability: This module examines revolutionary and controversial solutions for conducting business transactions. Students examine whether technology systems create a sufficiently robust, ethical, and sustainable solution and explore the moral and ethical issues related to automated legal advice tools. Students will reflect on the ensuing impact of the digital economy, the wider business community, and the legal profession, taking account of the unprecedented transformation in the digitisation of the law and the way law firms operate in the 21st century.
Resourcefulness and Resilience: Students will develop resourcefulness and resilience through embracing academic opportunities and the methodology adopted in this module. The module captured content for guided learning encourage students to think critically and to carry out research to address complex issues. This develops students’ approach to a deeper level of understanding and independent learning

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.