LAW-8021 Superintelligent AI and the New Social Contract
This course will explore the legal, ethical, and societal questions raised by increasingly advanced artificial intelligence. Drawing on Of Another Mind: Navigating a New Social Contract with Superintelligent AI by Professors Katherine B. Forrest and Amy C. Zimmerman, students will develop a foundational understanding of generative AI, autonomous AI agents, and the potential emergence of superintelligence and will examine how these developments may reshape legal frameworks and relationships among individuals, institutions, and AI systems. Through a combination of lectures, class discussions, guest speakers, and practical exercises, students will consider topics such as accountability for AI decisions, the alignment of AI behavior with human values, debates about AI consciousness and legal personhood, and the role of law in protecting human autonomy and promoting public trust. The objective of the course is to equip students to assess emerging AI developments critically and contribute to the legal and policy choices that will shape society’s relationship with increasingly capable AI.
Offered
Spring Law