University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Why AI Needs Legal Governance: Risk, Liability, & Compliance

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Why AI Needs Legal Governance: Risk, Liability, & Compliance

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Explain what AI is, how it evolved, and the benefits, risks, and real-world failures that drive the need for AI governance and compliance

  • Identify the goals and core pillars of AI governance, including safety, security, fairness, accountability, transparency, and privacy

  • Apply governance objectives, lifecycle stages, and targets to AI systems, and distinguish a governance mindset from a compliance mindset

Details to know

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Recently updated!

October 2026

Assessments

11 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the AI Governance and Compliance in Law Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
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There are 2 modules in this course

You will learn how artificial intelligence is defined, from Turing's early test to machine learning and modern definitions, and how the technology has evolved from early chatbots and expert systems to today's large language models. You will also learn about the potential benefits of AI, including its use in finance, and its risks, such as concentration of wealth, over-reliance, loss of control, and real-world failures. Finally, you will learn why AI governance and compliance are needed and what goals they serve, including safety, security, fairness, accountability, transparency, and privacy. Optionally, you can explore the NIST Glossary as a reference for AI terminology.

What's included

6 videos1 reading5 assignments

You will learn how AI governance and compliance are defined, why governance gaps lead to real-world harm, and how frameworks such as the OECD principles, the Hiroshima AI Process, and the Council of Europe Convention shape the field. You will also learn how to operationalize governance through its objectives, including responsible AI, social license, and the minimalist-to-maximalist continuum, and through its objects, including the AI lifecycle stages and technical, human, process, and output targets, along with four models for understanding governance. Finally, you will learn how a governance mindset differs from a compliance mindset and why AI systems call for continuous, feedback-driven oversight.

What's included

6 videos1 reading6 assignments

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Instructor

University of Illinois College of Law
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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