OBLB Book Release: Autonomous Systems and the Law (C.H. Beck/ Nomos 2019)

Autonomous Systems and the Law (C.H. Beck/Nomos 2019) by Nikita Aggarwal, Horst Eidenmüller, Luca Enriques, Jennifer Payne, and Kristin van Zwieten (eds) is a collection of papers dealing with the advancements of artificial intelligence. The book is the result of the annual Oxford Business Law conference in 2018, which took place on 8 March 2018 at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford. The book as well as the conference are on three themes: (A) Smart Contracts and Dispute Resolution; (B) FinTech and LegalTech; (C) Data Control and Cybersecurity. This publication features the contributions of the participants, but the papers have been substantially revised, extended, and updated to current developments.

Kai Jacob, Lauren Henry Scholz, Martin Fries, Andreas Hacke, Mateja Durovic, and Riccardo de Caria deal in the first part of the book (A) with the evolution of smart contracts and access to justice through technology-assisted dispute resolution. The authors outline possible opportunities and challenges of smart contracts as well as how arising disputes could be solved. In part B, Nikita Aggarwal, Florian Möslein, Geneviève Helleringer, Oscar Borgogno, Cristina Poncibò, Mimi Zou, Ludwig Bull, and Felix Steffek explore recent FinTech and LegalTech developments and how AI can be used in this context. The topics are diverse and range from consumer finance to regulating robotic conduct. The third and final chapter (C) is on Data Control and Cybersecurity. Horst Eidenmüller, Sofia Ranchordás, Michèle Finck, Lokke Moerel, Marijn Storm, and Alan Morrison address possible risks that come with automation: will the right to be forgotten be respected? Will humans be profiled by AI? What happens with biometric data?

There is a lot of food for thought in this publication and the variety of different methodologies employed by the authors, ranging from law and economics to qualitative behavioural investigations, make the book an engaging read. Regulating autonomous systems is a timely topic. The contributions in the book will facilitate the international discussion on one of the most fascinating and important policy debates of our times.