C9058 - SEM. DIRITTO PRIVATO DELL'ERA DIGITALE E DELL'INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE

Learning outcomes

At the end of the seminar, the student has acquired knowledge of the new digital realities and of how private law approaches them, and is able to navigate, at a basic level, the civil law issues involved, while remaining aware of their complexity and the still non-systematic nature of the regulatory framework. In particular, the student is familiar with the current state of European and national legislation concerning artificial intelligence and new technologies that affect civil law matters.

Course contents

The advent of new technologies, the emergence of new actors and new assets, and the rise of new opportunities and new challenges introduce into private law (whose foundations largely date back to Roman law and which was conceived and built for an “analog” world) new perspectives and new uncertainties, new needs for protection and regulation, in an increasingly digital and technological reality, made even more complex by AI and its ever more widespread use.

Seminar program:
- Technology, the individual, and the world: bioethics, the fundamental laws of robotics, risks and opportunities
- The AI Act and the Italian law on artificial intelligence
- New technologies and individual rights: old and new rights, old and new forms of protection
- Dematerialization of assets and utilities and “traditional” property rights: new assets and new forms of “wealth,” from ownership relationships to digital inheritance
- Technology, AI, and contractual activity: e-commerce, smart contracts, agentic contracts
- AI and civil liability: autonomous vehicles; liabilities involved in AI

Readings/Bibliography

The teaching materials (regulatory texts, short articles, slides) will be provided through the VirtualLearningEnvironment.

Teaching methods

The seminar is structured to include, after a general overview of the individual topics, a number of in-depth analyses and classroom discussions, also through the examination of documents, judicial decisions, illustrative materials, etc.

Active participation by attending students is expected and appreciated.

Classes will be held in person, in accordance with university guidelines. Attendance is strongly recommended. Working students and those who do not attend classes are kindly requested to contact the lecturer to arrange additional readings.

Assessment methods

During the last hour of the seminar classes, an in-class exercise will be held for students who have attended at least 80% of the lessons (attendance verified in class), which will also count as the assessment required to obtain eligibility.

For non-attending students, an examination session will be scheduled, and they will be assigned a short paper on one of the topics covered during the meetings, to be completed in writing in person in the classroom.

The final evaluation will consist of a pass/fail judgment.

Teaching tools

Students who, for reasons related to disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD), require compensatory tools may inform the Instructor of their needs so that they can be referred to the appropriate contacts and agree on the adoption of the most suitable accommodations. Please first consult the website www.studentidisabili.unibo.it

Texts, illustrative material, and other resources are available on VirtualLearningEnvironment https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Annalisa Atti