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AI and Legal Foundations: Law in the Age of Automation

AI and Legal Foundations: Law in the Age of Automation

This course is part of Responsible AI and the Law Specialization

Instructor: Alberto Rinaldi

Included with Learn more

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

No prior experience required

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

No prior experience required

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Generative AI

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Responsible AI and the Law Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 6 modules in this course

Welcome to our MOOC on the legal foundations of artificial intelligence.

This course is aimed at professionals and students interested in the legal and societal implications of AI. It is particularly relevant for legal practitioners, policymakers, public sector officials, private sector actors, civil society representatives, academics, and students who want to better understand how existing legal frameworks apply to emerging technologies. Throughout the course, you will explore how AI systems function from a legal perspective, including questions related to software, hardware, and legal personhood. You will also examine when and to what extent AI-driven decisions can be trusted. Drawing on legal theory and practical examples, the course will guide you through key issues of responsibility and liability. You will gain insights into how criminal law, negligence, contract law, and product liability apply when AI systems cause harm, as well as how AI intersects with fundamental rights such as privacy, fairness, and non-discrimination. By the end of the course, you will be able to understand how core legal principles adapt to intelligent systems and how individual rights can be protected in an AI-driven society

This module introduces learners to the basic mechanics of Artificial Intelligence - how algorithms, data, and models produce outputs - and why these processes raise legal and ethical questions. It explains the difference between human and “AI” agency, introduces the legal concept of the person, and shows why understanding how AI works is essential for assessing its legal implications.

What's included

4 videos5 readings1 assignment

4 videosTotal 32 minutes

Introduction to MOOC 1: Law and AI3 minutes
Legal Personhood in the Age of AI8 minutes
Law and AI Software9 minutes
Law and AI Hardware12 minutes

5 readingsTotal 50 minutes

Course Synopsis10 minutes
Legal Personhood in the Age of AI10 minutes
Law and AI Software10 minutes
Law and AI Hardware10 minutes
Further Reading10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module Assessment: How AI Works - The Basics You Need to Know30 minutes

This module introduces the concept of trust in AI decision-making. It explores what it means to “trust” an automated system, why trust matters in law and governance, and how international principles aim to make AI decisions reliable, transparent, and accountable. Learners discover how legal systems and global organisations - such as the UN, UNESCO, and OECD - frame “trustworthy AI” and what safeguards can help ensure fairness, explainability, and human oversight.

What's included

2 videos3 readings1 assignment

This module examines accountability and responsibility in the age of intelligent systems. When an AI system makes or influences a decision - in healthcare, policing, warfare, or daily life - who bears the legal responsibility? Learners explore how existing legal doctrines (liability, negligence, product safety, agency) adapt to autonomous and data-driven technologies, and how international frameworks address accountability and human oversight.

What's included

3 videos4 readings1 assignment

This module introduces learners to legal liability in the age of AI. What happens when an algorithm fails, a robot causes harm, or an automated decision violates rights? Learners explore how classical concepts - negligence, causation, product liability, contractual responsibility - apply (or struggle to apply) to modern AI systems. The module also reviews new legislative initiatives that adapt liability frameworks to autonomous and data-driven technologies.

What's included

3 videos4 readings1 assignment

3 videosTotal 27 minutes

Negligence and Fault in Automated Systems8 minutes
Contracts and Product Liability in AI9 minutes
When Robots Fail: Case Studies9 minutes

4 readingsTotal 40 minutes

Negligence and Fault in Automated Systems10 minutes
Contracts and Product Liability in AI10 minutes
When Robots Fail: Case Studies10 minutes
Further reading10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Module Assessment: When Things Go Wrong30 minutes

This module explores how AI technologies affect fundamental rights and freedoms. Learners discover how privacy, equality, freedom of expression, and due process are shaped by algorithmic systems - and what legal safeguards exist to protect them. The module introduces global and regional frameworks (UN, EU, UNESCO) and practical cases illustrating how rights-based approaches guide AI governance.

What's included

3 videos4 readings1 assignment

This final module is a hands-on peer project where learners apply the key concepts from Modules 1–5 to analyse a simple real-world AI scenario. Students will identify potential legal and ethical issues, link them to relevant principles and frameworks, and propose practical solutions.

What's included

1 peer review1 discussion prompt

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Instructor

Alberto Rinaldi

Lund University

0 Courses0 learners

Offered by

Lund University

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Frequently asked questions

The certificate is not part of a formal qualification from Lund University.

The learners are not required to purchase a textbook since all readings will be provided online. All reading materials are free and will be available to use for the duration of the course.

The course staff will participate in the discussion forum and welcome questions and comments. We encourage the learners to be active and engaged, interacting with other participants and sharing ideas. You can also contact the course staff by emailing mooc@jur.lu.se.

To access course materials, assignments, and earn a Certificate, you'll need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. Eligible learners may also have the option to start with a Free Trial. Some courses may also offer a Full Course, No Certificate option. This lets you access course materials, submit required assessments, and receive a final grade, but you won't be able to earn or purchase a Certificate.