Artificial Intelligence - The Practical Legal Issues (Fourth Edition)

Artificial Intelligence remains a complex and rapidly evolving technology. Since the 3rd edition of this book, Generative AI has embedded itself in the daily workflows of businesses, public bodies and, increasingly, the legal profession itself. What was a seismic shock only a few years ago is now an established fact of commercial and social life. In parallel, the legislative and policy landscape has hardened from proposal into law: the EU's groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence Act is now in operation.This book will guide you through the policy updates and the implications of existing and emerging AI technologies, and provide a practical and easily digestible path to the real issues you need to consider as a legal practitioner. It contains a grounding of what differentiates artificially intelligent systems from traditional technology and explains the differences between AI, Machine Learning and Deep Learning, and what makes Generative and Agentic AI so different. Understanding what AI systems can and cannot do is also essential to developing a clear legal awareness of the technology. From these introductory foundations, you'll learn how the deployment of AI creates issues and risks that need to be considered carefully and that permeate across causation, intellectual property ownership, confidentiality and data protection, employment, corporate and even criminal law.This 4th Edition brings the reader fully up to date with a field transformed since the last edition of this book.CONTENTSAn Introduction to Artificially Intelligent SystemsAI Ethics: A PrimerGenerative AI SystemsAI Agents and Agentic AI SystemsCausation and Artificial IntelligenceThe EU Artificial Intelligence ActBig Data and Artificial IntelligenceAI SafetyAutomated Facial RecognitionIntellectual Property Rights in AI SystemsAutomated Bias and DiscriminationAI Crime: Commission and JudgmentMarket Distorting Effects: AI and Competition LawAutomation and Service ProvisionArtificial Intelligence and Corporate LawAI Governance, Alignment and Standards