This course is for learners who want a foundation in AI governance and compliance, including professionals who oversee or support AI use in their organizations. It begins by defining artificial intelligence, tracing its evolution from early concepts to large language models, and weighing its potential benefits against its risks, including documented AI failures. It then defines AI governance and compliance and explains the core goals governance seeks to protect, such as safety, security, fairness, accountability, transparency, and privacy. Learners next study how to operationalize governance through its objectives and objects, using the AI lifecycle, governance targets, and four models of governance. The course closes by contrasting a governance mindset with a compliance mindset and showing why AI systems need continuous, feedback-driven oversight.

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

Why AI Needs Legal Governance: Risk, Liability, & Compliance
This course is part of AI Governance and Compliance in Law Specialization

Instructor: University of Illinois College of Law
Included with Learn more
Recommended experience
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

Add to your LinkedIn profile
October 2026
11 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Build your subject-matter expertise
- 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 2 modules in this course
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Instructor

Offered by
Explore more from Support and Operations

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Jennifer J.

Larry W.

Chaitanya A.
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online


