The irreversible impact of AI on ethics and the law

In this piece, Dr Ikpenmosa Uhumuavbi, our Senior Lecturer and Postgraduate/Knowledge Exchange Lead at the School of Law, helps us understand the impact of AI on ethics and the law. If you’re thinking about studying Law, AI is now just a fact of life. Let’s dive into the ways it’s changing everything.

How is Law changing due to AI?

Law is; at its core, a tool for consolidating societal agreement. AI is an amazing innovation but it can influence the way we relate with one another and it changes the focus of Law entirely. What was once a field focused on individual liability and responsibility is now a quagmire with layers of sub-liabilities created by the introduction of AI. Not only are the laws we have changing, but the use of AI within the profession and your law education should be considered as well.

Here are just a few of the new implications of AI on law students:

● If AI is part of the decision-making process, like in a contract, the influence of the programmer is now part of the agreement as is the company that made it; they are all now an intermediary with an impact and potential responsibility

● This is also happening with civil wrongs. A civil wrong is a violation of a legal duty that results in harm or loss. Think about what would happen if a medical doctor uses AI that is inaccurate and this AI-influenced decision creates a bad health outcome for someone; who is liable then?

● Next, you have the development of AI itself, the interests of the parties creating the tools, the app development process, the platform for hosting and the data it is trained on; Law must now consider the layers of vulnerabilities and cybersecurity across this new landscape. Think about who is responsible for road safety in driverless cars or robotic workers making food who falsely account for allergies; these are all new considerations

● Lastly, we’re still unsure about the personhood of AI. Does it own what it makes for you or do you? Is copyright possible? This jurisprudence is not settled. There is a need to understand and define legally how to use AI and where AI adds value versus detracting from value in society. Laws are still being written around value, IP, privacy, security and ownership

What about ethics?

Data is a measure of our experiences and a collection of those experiences. Scraping the internet for human stories to train AI on creates a form of property from that general internet data. But it also may perpetuate divisions and tensions as some people and countries can protect and use this data while others cannot or have already been exploited by current large language models (LLM) - this is where the ethics of AI comes in. How will we fight inequality, data theft, exploitation and more on behalf of disadvantaged countries or groups?

The ethical considerations for AI and Law impact learning too. Learning only takes place when people engage, put forth effort and do their own research. AI can personalise learning, help students like you process ideas, translate concepts, accommodate for neurodivergence and write very quickly. But there are downsides. It can reduce social interaction, decrease your long-term understanding and increase anxiety and exclusion; short-circuiting our connections with others and reinforcing the biases inherent in AI programming today.

If you’re keen to work at the forefront of Law and define what role AI will play in the future, then come and enjoy studying Law, Crime & Criminal Justice at Bolton. We’ll teach you both the foundational theory and critical thinking skills you need to thrive in the modern legal landscape and build a long-lasting career. Visit an open day, phone us on 01204 903394 or email at admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk to experience #UniAsItShouldBe, a supportive learning environment.