Working Group 1) AI and the Law: Workshop Series
This is a series of lunchtime workshops designed to dive into real-world applications of AI in legal and policy settings. Instead of just reading about AI in the abstract, you’ll be working through concrete scenarios where the law is still trying to catch up.
We’ll look at how AI is being used in contexts as diverse as professional sports, luxury goods manufacturing, and major law firms. We’ll dig into privacy and cybersecurity issues, competition law, and even governance dilemmas. Each workshop will run in pairs, two days in a row, four times during the year. On day one, you’ll work through a fact pattern; on day two, we’ll bring in an expert to show you how they approached the exact same problem and give you feedback on your choices. It’s hands-on, it’s practical, and it’s a rare chance to test your thinking directly against practicing professionals.
Sessions will be held on the following dates during lunchtime (12:30pm-2:00pm):
- Session 1, Part 1: October 15
- Session 1, Part 2: October 16
- Session 2, Part 1: November 17
- Session 2, Part 2: November 18
- Session 3, Part 1: January 20
- Session 3, Part 2: January 21
- Session 4, Part 1: February 10
- Session 4, Part 2: February 11
Final Session: March 12
Project 2) The Future of Democracy and Capitalism
Our second project brings in an extraordinary guest: Bruce Schneier, one of the world’s leading experts in cryptography, computer security, and privacy. He’s joining us as a visiting scholar, and we’ll be collaborating with him on a project that explores the future of democracy and capitalism in the age of AI.
We’ll base our work on a thought-provoking paper Bruce recently published, and together we’ll be asking big-picture questions: How do democratic institutions adapt when AI can generate misinformation at scale? What does economic fairness look like in a world where automation is everywhere? And how do we build legal frameworks that protect individuals without stifling innovation? This is a chance to work directly with one of the most respected voices in this space, and I promise it will be both intellectually challenging and incredibly rewarding.
Project 3) Navigating an Aging Population
Our third project is something a bit different but equally important: Navigating an Aging Population. Around the world, societies are grappling with the implications of longer lifespans and declining birth rates. For lawyers and policymakers, this raises huge questions.
We’ll be working in collaboration with universities across the globe to think about what supports will be needed in the decades ahead. From health law and anti-aging initiatives to economic policy and quality-of-life issues, we’ll be envisioning the legal structures that can best serve aging populations. This is stage one of a comparative international analysis, so eventually I hope you’ll get the chance to see how different jurisdictions are approaching these challenges and think about what Canada can learn from them. There may be a secondary stage that everyone will be able to get involved in, though my guess is that will follow-up next year.
Project 4) AI Agents in Mental Health and Wellness
Our fourth project, led in collaboration with Professor Anna Su, looks at one of the most sensitive and fast-moving areas of technology: AI agents in mental health and wellness.
There are countless stories out there (some uplifting, some tragic) about people who’ve turned to AI chatbots for therapy or emotional support. For some, it’s the only help they can access; for others, it’s caused real harm. Like most things with AI, the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and guardrails are desperately needed. In this group, you’ll explore the impact of these AI agents, how they might become more widespread, and what protections people will need as they increasingly rely on them.