[In the media] Andrew Murray: The use of AI may disrupt democracy and the rule of law

In anticipation of the sixth Annual T.M.C. Asser Lecture (26 November), Prof. Andrew Murray spoke to Dutch newspaper NRC and international law blog OpinioJuris about the threat that artificial intelligence (AI) poses to the rule of law and the need for international legal regulation.

In an interview with NRC journalist Caroline de Gruyter, Murray advocated for ‘tough regulation’ of artificial intelligence: ‘AI can be fantastic, but it takes away our brains and our ability to weigh things. Our autonomy is shifting to companies’. Murray continues ‘The use of AI prevents people from making autonomous decisions. This disrupts democracy and the rule of law’.

How can we keep reaping the benefits of AI while mitigating the threat it poses to our core values? Murray argues that we must act now with legal regulation, and specifically international legal regulation: ‘It is too late for national legislation. This [artificial intelligence] is cross-border. The EU must establish a global organisation for AI, just as we have organisations for refugees or health. If large countries participate, something can happen’.

To read Prof. Murray’s full interview on NRC (in Dutch), please see our Asser in the Media page.

Asser researcher interviews Prof. Murray for OpinioJuris
Asser researcher Dr Dimitri van den Meerssche interviewed Prof. Murray for the international law blog OpinioJuris. Providing a sneak peek into his lecture, Murray argued against common approaches to regulating AI such as ethical frameworks or the ‘human in the loop’ ideal. Instead, Murray believes ‘the time has come for international [legal] regulation on artificial intelligence’.

You can find the full interview on our Asser in the Media page.

Register now for the 6^th Annual T.M.C. Asser Lecture

In a thought-provoking Sixth Annual T.M.C. Asser Lecture, Prof. Andrew Murray, a leading thinker on information technology and regulation, will discuss the challenges that Artificial Intelligence and Big Data pose for human agency and the Rule of Law. Prof. Murray’s lecture is entitled ‘Almost human: Law and human agency in the Time of Artificial Intelligence’.

The Sixth Annual T.M.C. Asser Lecture, a unique online event, will take place on Thursday, 26 November 2020 at 16.00 hours CET. Click here to register.

Read more

[Annual Lecture] A future of ‘algorithmic warfare’? Human agency and the rule of law in the age of artificial intelligence – Learn more about what to expect at the T.M.C. Asser 6^th Annual Lecture including a lecture abstract and Prof. Murray’s biography.