Cutting-Edge Research Papers at the Intersection of Law and Technology

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Pisa, Italy, July 2023. The culmination of months of dedicated interdisciplinary research conducted by the group of our 15 Early-Stage-Researchers (ESRs) has resulted in the publication of six cutting-edge working papers. For more than a year have our ESRs been working together in the Legality Attentive Data Scientist project (LeADS) that brings together aspiring researchers with diverse academic (law, economics, computer science) and cultural backgrounds. The objective: finding answers in a collaborative effort to pressing and emerging questions of today’s data economy and to effectively bridge the existing gaps between law and computer science.

By fostering collaboration between legal scholars and computer scientists, the project demonstrates that research conducted at the intersection of law and data science is a rich, complex and yet necessary task which ultimately yields innovative solutions to complex challenges. The melding of these disciplines allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the legal implications of rapidly advancing technologies. In their working papers, our scholars dived into and explored divers topics such as the definition and implementation of fairness in automated decisions, transparency and relevancy of consent policies, case studies on data access and re-use of vehicle data, or how technology might facilitate the creation of ‘data collaboratives’ where data can be shared in a privacy-friendly way.

The findings have already been presented to a wider scientific audience at prestigious conferences, such as the annual ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency 2023 (FAccT) which this year was held in Chicago. Furthermore, the ESRs will present their research at a conference organised by the LeADS consortium that will take place at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in January 2024.

 

LeADS Organises TILL Workshop and Conference on Data Sciences & EU Regulations

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Toulouse, France, December 2022 – On the 7th and 8th of December 2022, the Conference on Data Sciences and EU Regulations took place at IRIT – Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier, one of the beneficiaries of the LeADS project.At the Conference, data scientists and legal scholars provided comprehensive insights on algorithmic bias, an analysis of the current EU Regulations, and considerations on the best practices for digital technology development. The conference continued with the LeADS Early-Stage Researchers poster session.

The conference aimed to incorporate multidisciplinarity which is the core of the LeADS Project. Focusing on topics that cross the barriers of law and data science such as exploring the notion of fairness and how algorithms can be a tool to avoid biases. This multidisciplinary angle is essential to find novel solutions to obstacles posed by law and technology.

Technology Innovation in Law Laboratories (TILL) Workshop

On the second day, Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) gathered at IRIT again for the Technology Innovation in Law Laboratories (TILL) workshop.

During this two-part workshop series, ESRs formed multidisciplinary groups to do hands-on exploration of practical cases provided by LeADS industry partners, going beyond conventional learning practices to deliver solutions through collaborative learning with the assistance of mentors. In the late afternoon, the ESR teams presented their findings in an interactive session and received questions and feedback from the LeADS members and other participants.

This event is the first part of a two-part series, the second TILL workshop will take place in December 2023.

Further information

Conference overview  | Blog post on the topic

Creating Bridges between Disciplines – Conference on Human Rights Attentive AI

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Kraków, Poland, September 2021 – On the 21st September 2021 the LeADS consortium organised a conference on “Designing Human Rights Attentive AI – an Interdisciplinary Perspective” that took place at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. The conference was organised as part of the fifth training module of the LeADS project which aims at training 15 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) as Legality Attentive Data Scientists that are capable of working within and across law and data science.

The conference strictly adhered to this interdisciplinary approach by bringing in the perspectives of both computer scientists and lawyers. Salvatore Ruggieri, a full Professor at the Computer Science Department of the University of Pisa, elaborated on whether or not we can trust ‘fair-AI’. The legal perspective was brought in by Andrea Parziale and Agnieszka Jablonowska who talked about ethical and legal issues in accessing biobank data as well as privacy-attentive AI in consumer markets.

Finally, the conference did not only create bridges between law and computer science but also between academia and the business sector. Marco Antonio Sotelo from Indra, one of the partners of the LeADS project, brought in the perspective of a global technology and consulting company in his talk on “Explaining AI in Cyber Defence”. All perspectives together amplified the importance of a robust regulatory framework for the data economy is necessary. At the same time, however, it was agreed that this is a very difficult task with which regulators worldwide have been struggling. The conference, therefore, again showed the relevance of the LeADS project which with its interdisciplinary approach aims to contribute to finding innovative solutions to solve these difficulties.

Early-Stage Researchers Present their Cutting-Edge Research at the International Conference on AI

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Crete, Greece, June 2021 – On the 19th of June 20212, the LeADS consortium organised a workshop on best practices for the development of intelligent and trustworthy algorithms and systems as part of the 18th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Applications and Innovations (AIAI) that took place in Crete. The Workshop consisted of two parts:

The first part featured two panel discussions on “Data Ownership, Privacy and Empowerment” and “Trustworthy Data Processing Design”. Leading scholars in their field, such as Paul de Hert from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Giovanni Comandé from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, discussed pressing questions in the data economy. Is a potential data ownership right compatible with the existing data protection law? Which legal, ethical, and technological framework is needed to ensure a more trustworthy data economy?

Second, the 15 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) of the LeADS project presented their cutting-edge research during a session on “Best Practices for the Development of Intelligent and Trustworthy Algorithms and Systems” and  discussed their research with the participants of the AIAI conference. The workshop intervenes at a moment when the European Commission is proposing various pieces of legislation that should create a framework to reconcile diverging interests in data. Thus far, however, many questions have been left unanswered on how to find an appropriate regulatory framework. With its interdisciplinary approach, the LeADS project aims to find innovative solutions to these questions.

 

Further Information:

Blogpost