To understand the role that legal and regulatory frameworks will play as new technologies and artificial intelligence become more integrated into commercial activities and also within the criminal justice system

This module will deal with intrusive, autonomous and creationist technologies and the legal responses to these new and emerging technologies as well as the impact of new developments in Artificial Intelligence. The module will cover the emergence of Intrusive technologies: from drones to the" internet of things" to built-in communication back doors. It will cover issues of both physical intrusion such as trespass and non-physical intrusion such as surveillance, image exploitation and including including privacy and data collection, processing and security including cross jurisdictional transfers. It will also deal with Autonomous technologies: from assisted driver safety systems to the autonomous self-driving car to autonomous weapons systems and robot soldiers. It will cover the proposed regulatory frameworks and potential judicial responses to the increasing automated decision processes in much of the new technology. The module will also cover issues in the development of Artificial Intelligence. Finally the module will deal with creation technologies: from 3D printing, to cloning and genetic manipulation. It will examine the quickly developing law behind manipulation of the basic building blocks of both physical items including life itself and its commercialization. It will include physical creation in new manufacturing processes such as 3D printing, the manipulation of genetic materials both in agriculture (GMO and animal cloning) and beyond to medical treatments, genetic planning and prosthetics. The prospects of using Artificial Intelligence will be explored in terms of legal regulation. The module will integrate an examination of general trends in society that reflect an increasing accommodation with new technology and the issue as to whether the legal environment is responding quickly enough to meet these demands.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:demonstrate that they can identify and classify new and emerging technologies; demonstrate that they can explain the difficulties in applying legal rules to these new and emerging technologies; demonstrate that they can discuss the relevance of existing legal and regulatory frameworks to new technologies; demonstrate that they can critically analyse the role of the legal system in resolving disputes that arise from new technology; demonstrate that they can relate the law impacting the development of new technologies on a global scale; demonstrate that they can critique emerging theories on the application of law and regulation for technological advancement.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:demonstrate that they understand the role and limitations of the law in regulating new technology; demonstrate that they understand how legal powers need to work on a global level to maintain their effectiveness; demonstrate that they can appreciate the need for constant change in the legal system for dealing with new technologies.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: N/A

The module is taught through blended learning predominantly online with a number of face to face seminars. Student will be assigned reading material, and will be expected to conduct independent research, prior to each seminar, where they will be required to discuss the relevant issues. The University of Limerick Graduate Attributes will be developed by: broadening students' knowledge and proactivity through encouraging independent and directed research; emphasising student's responsibility to organise their time in an efficient manner and to work to specific deadlines; enhancing students' creativity in how they approach independent research; promoting collaborative research by the students and requiring students to articulate their research findings in a group setting.