General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW3065 |
| Course name: | Information Technology Law |
| Programme offered under: | LLB Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Designated research course: | No |
| Specialization: | No |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | No |
| Credit point value: | 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
This course examines the legal and policy issues brought forth by technological advances in modern information technology – that is, artificial intelligence and machine learning. We will study both (a) how emerging applications of AI/ML in finance, health, and government raise novel legal problems and (b) how certain emerging technologies may transform the practice of law. Topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Data privacy and security
- Discrimination and bias in algorithmic decision making
- Interpretability, explainability and the black box problem in machine learning
- Copyright and authenticity with large language models such as ChatGPT
- Deepfakes, art and misinformation with image models such as Dall-E
- AI and patent law
- Geopolitics of technology (protection of chip designs, import/export exclusions, trade wars)
- Prediction, workflow automation and the changing landscape of legal practice
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Boris Babic | babic@hku.hk | N/A | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Understand the core legal problems brought about by emerging technologies.
CLO 2 Critically examine central concepts, including differential privacy, anonymity, data bias, model transparency and complexity.
CLO 3 Evaluate the suitability of new technologies to the practice of law.
CLO 4 Demonstrate an awareness of how emerging technologies may shape broader geopolitical forces.
CLO 5 Understand how to use data driven tools for better advocacy.
2.2 LLB Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link: https://course.law.hku.hk/llb-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary (Three house open book unseen examination)
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Participation and case studies | TBC | 20% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | |
| Presentation | 23 Apr 2024 | 30% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | |
| Final paper | 7 May 2024 | 50% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by the convenor(s).
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar | 3 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by the convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/