Nathalie A. Smuha (KU Leuven Law) has posted “An Introduction to the Law, Ethics and Policy of Artificial Intelligence” (Nathalie A. Smuha (ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of the Law, Ethics and Policy of Artificial Intelligence (Cambridge University Press, 2025).) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
This chapter offers an introduction to The Cambridge Handbook of the Law, Ethics and Policy of Artificial Intelligence, which gathers contributions from experts in various disciplines to discuss the legal, ethical and policy implications of artificial intelligence, with a focus on Europe. In virtually all societal domains, algorithmic systems have made a grand entrance. Given their growing impact on our lives, it is increasingly important to map, understand and assess the challenges and opportunities they raise. Law, ethics and policy play a vital role in the governance of AI, yet the allocation of their respective roles raises several questions that need to be addressed. While finding an answer to those questions is not easy, there is already great value in the acknowledgment of this difficulty, as it can propel us towards a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of what is at stake – which is precisely what this book seeks to contribute to. Moreover, these answers will only be found when looking beyond the current AI hype. Therefore, in addition to introducing the various contributions of the book, this chapter also reflects on the historical and societal conditions that shape our human fascination for intelligent machines and that enable those machines to now shape us in turn, for better and for worse.