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From concerns about the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to addressing urgent societal needs in healthcare delivery and climate change, recent technological developments have sparked much debate and discussion among academics and the general public alike. Schulich Law’s new interdisciplinary speaker series Tech Toks, led by its Law and Technology Institute (LATI), is designed to tap into the public’s growing interest in these issues.

Suzie Dunn, Schulich Law assistant professor and LATI’s acting director, says she hopes the six-part series, made possible by Dalhousie University’s Research Centres and Institutes Next Wave Fund, creates valuable opportunities to engage the public in discussions with local and national experts on the latest developments in technology law and policy.

“Dalhousie has such impressive scholars working at the forefront of technology,” she shares. “We wanted to use the Tech Toks series as a tool to bring people from various disciplines and the larger Halifax community together to have conversations about emerging issues in tech.”

Tech Toks also seek to strengthen inter-faculty collaboration by combining representatives from different disciplines to help build capacity in areas of shared interest and concern.

There have been three events since the series kicked off in September 2024, starting with the launch of Dalhousie Distinguished Research Professor Elaine Craig’s new book, Mainstreaming Porn – Sexual Integrity and the Law Online. The second in November, was a hybrid-format panel and networking event for women in technology and intellectual property and policy, and the third in January, featured three leading experts who discussed the impacts of virtual reality, AI, and tech support on the legal landscape.

The next event, Tech Tok: AI and the Practice of Law, will take place on Wednesday, February 26 at the Weldon Law Building. Organized by Associate Professor Michael Karanicolas, Schulich Law’s new James S. Palmer Chair in Public Policy and Law, this session will focus on the potential and pitfalls of legal technology innovations.

Two panels of experts from across a range of disciplines and professional contexts will explore the capabilities and limitations of emerging legal technologies, how they are likely to transform the practice of law, and where the profession is moving as a result. A networking session will follow the second panel.

“We’ve had great turnout for our conversations on topics ranging from the ways that pornography platforms shift sexual norms to how virtual reality can be used for restorative justice,” says Dunn. “We look forward to sharing the details of our final two events soon where we will explore the evolution of space technologies, as well as the right to repair our technological devices.”

Please visit Schulich Law’s online events calendar for the most up-to-date information and schedule of events and speakers.