LAILEC 2024 - Beyond the Rules: Regulatory Frontiers of AI and Data

Following the first day on 12 March in Darmstadt, Germany, Data Week 2024 continues in Leuven in conjunction with LAILEC 2024. The main topics for this event, hosted by the Big Data Value Association, will gravitate around the legal and ethical aspects of data and AI (incl. Data-driven and automated compliance, the AI Act implementation, Generative AI / Foundation models, Data quality, Data life-cycle projects, Synthetic Data and AI Regulatory sandboxes).

At LAILEC, we will delve into the multifaceted realm of responsible AI governance and technology regulation, particularly given the EU AI Act's recent approval. Topics will include evaluating the suitability of various methodologies for AI Act compliance, identifying the most appropriate approaches for specific needs, and highlighting leading organizations in implementing responsible AI governance. Additionally, the discussion will explore innovative solutions such as policy prototyping and regulatory sandboxes which can address criticisms regarding the feasibility and adaptability of regulatory requirements. Furthermore, global perspectives on AI policy initiatives outside the EU, including those in the UK, US, China, and beyond, will be examined to assess potential impacts and lessons for EU AI policy, aiming to provide insights into international trends and the potential for regulatory convergence or divergence.

Given the growing importance of the role of data in the modern economy, recent years have witnessed a landmark transformation in the regulation of data sharing and re-use. Despite its complexity, the new regulatory data landscape is evolving primarily around building a trusted framework for both data subjects/data holders and data users to share data. At LAILEC, we will take a critical look at the key regulations that constitute the foundation of data policy in the EU, with a specific emphasis on addressing the new challenges posed by the GDPR, Data Act, and Data Governance Act, and their implications for data contracts. A key focus of our discussions will be the exploration of common European data spaces. These infrastructures are designed to facilitate the secure and trustworthy sharing of data from across the EU, catering to various use cases, including the development of AI systems. Our exploration will extend further to scrutinize newly recognised actors in the evolving data sharing ecosystem, such as Data Intermediation Service Providers and Data Altruism Organisations.

LAILEC 2024 will host a number of legal labs, spanning a variety of topics related to the conference programme. These labs will be primarily aimed at legal professionals and practitioners. The purpose of these labs is to share practical experience and expertise regarding specific legal challenges through smaller, interactive sessions.

Meanwhile, the Research Colloquium on Law and Emerging Technologies 2024 constitutes a distinctive platform providing an outstanding opportunity for scholarly engagement with current issues at the intersection of Law and Emerging Technologies and pertinent policy considerations within the modern societal landscape.