The event I INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND LAW: BETWEEN TECHNIQUE, ETHICS, AND LAW, organized by Prof. Caitlin Mulholland, was held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, in the RDC Auditorium, from April 11 to 13, 2024.

The event aligns with the concentration area of State Theory and Constitutional Law and the research area of Legal Theory, Ethics, and the Construction of Subjectivity. The transformations operated by algorithmic systems—which influence normative decisions, restructure social interactions, and directly affect the constitution of subjects—demand a critical review of the traditional foundations that support contemporary Law and political theory. In this sense, the interdisciplinarity that characterizes this research area, integrating contributions from philosophy, psychoanalysis, sociology, and constitutional theory, allows for a more in-depth analysis of the new contours of the legal phenomenon in the digital age.

The topics addressed at the Artificial Intelligence and Law Seminar also align with the research area Legal Theory, Ethics, and the Construction of Subjectivity, especially with regard to the critical analysis of the legal, ethical, and political transformations caused by emerging technologies, particularly AI. Issues such as the ethical foundations and principles of AI, the attributes of socio-technical design aimed at system reliability, and the classification of risks based on AI’s autonomy and impact, problematize modern rationalities and the power structures underlying the production of norms. The discussion on algorithmic discrimination and bias correction connects with reflections on structural inequalities and the historical constitution of subjectivities, allowing these phenomena to be understood as contemporary manifestations of exclusion. Civil liability for damages caused by AI systems, algorithmic governance and accountability mechanisms, and regulatory impact assessment processes are also examined in relation to the need for new legal frameworks that consider socio-technical complexity. Finally, institutional arrangements for AI regulation in Brazil were debated from an ethical and constitutional perspective committed to human dignity, fundamental rights, and social justice.

A total of 28 speakers, both national and international, participated in the event. It was attended by an average of 70 participants in person, and 460 online via a live broadcast on a dedicated YouTube channel. The event also had a landing page with all relevant information: https://ecoawordpress.usuarios.rdc.puc-rio.br/seminario-internacional-de-ia-e-direito/. Funds received from PAEP were specifically applied to paying for speakers’ airfare and daily allowances, infrastructure rental, and third-party services (such as video and audio technicians and receptionists).

The event featured the presentation of expanded abstracts divided into four working groups. A total of 43 abstracts were approved. The public notice anticipates the publication of the seminar's proceedings, which are being produced by PUC Press in two volumes, with publication in the first semester of 2025. Partnerships and research networks for practical application in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Law were established with the following organizations: Meta, Alandar, the Rio de Janeiro City Attorney’s Office, Pinheiro Neto Advogados, OpenAI, and the Internet Steering Committee. The seminar’s objective was fully met: to foster a multi-sector public debate to prepare the way for the regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Brazil (with ongoing bills, etc.).

Event photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/r8dGSWRw3273LmXS7