Law on Trial 2026: AI and the Future of the University: Critical Perspectives
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck Clore Management Centre
The emergence of generative AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) is already causing sweeping changes to economic, political and private life, and presents unprecedented challenges for universities, both in education and in research, reshaping the economy and the work-world in ways that demand a response. But should we be so enthusiastic to integrate these addictive slop-bots into every facet of university life?
The pace and complexity of change has made informed critical reflection difficult. The dominant narrative across the sector so far has been that since everyone else is doing it we must ‘embrace the positives’ of AI. Not everyone agrees. The potential risks have been minimised: the erosion of intellectual capacities and knowledge, the outsourcing of effort, the danger of a disastrous collapse in independent thought.
This year’s Law on Trial brings together leading experts and critical voices to challenge the narrative around AI in higher education and academic research.
One-day Conference: June 5th
Speakers
- Jack Grove, Correspondent, Times Higher Education
- Dr James Humphries, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow
- Dr Joe Slater, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Glasgow
- Bhargav Srinivasa Desikan, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford
- Joseph de Weck, Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute
- Riccardo Benzo, Digital Education Consultant, Birkbeck
- Prof Stewart Motha, LLB Programme Director, Birkbeck
- Dr Victoria Ridler, Head of Birkbeck Law School
Chair: Dr Craig Reeves, Education Lead for Law, Birkbeck
Contact name: Ed Brandt
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