Artificial Intelligence - The Practical Legal Issues (Fourth Edition) - John Buyers

Artificial Intelligence remains a complex and rapidly evolving technology. Since the 3rd edition of this book, Generative AI has embedded itself in the daily workflows of businesses, public bodies and, increasingly, the legal profession itself. What was a seismic shock only a few years ago is now an established fact of commercial and social life. In parallel, the legislative and policy landscape has hardened from proposal into law: the EU’s groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence Act is now in operation.

This book will guide you through the policy updates and the implications of existing and emerging AI technologies, and provide a practical and easily digestible path to the real issues you need to consider as a legal practitioner. It contains a grounding of what differentiates artificially intelligent systems from traditional technology and explains the differences between AI, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, and what makes Generative and Agentic AI so different. Understanding what AI systems can and cannot do is also essential to developing a clear legal awareness of the technology. From these introductory foundations, you’ll learn how the deployment of AI creates issues and risks that need to be considered carefully and that permeate across causation, intellectual property ownership, confidentiality and data protection, employment, corporate and even criminal law.

This 4th Edition brings the reader fully up to date with a field transformed since the last edition of this book.

CONTENTS

An Introduction to Artificially Intelligent Systems

AI Ethics: A Primer

Generative AI Systems

AI Agents and Agentic AI Systems

Causation and Artificial Intelligence

The EU Artificial Intelligence Act

Big Data and Artificial Intelligence

AI Safety

Automated Facial Recognition

Intellectual Property Rights in AI Systems

Automated Bias and Discrimination

AI Crime: Commission and Judgment

Market Distorting Effects: AI and Competition Law

Automation and Service Provision

Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Law

AI Governance, Alignment and Standards