LLB353 Governing Artificial Intelligence
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | LLB353 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $2,174 |
| Pre-2021 CSP student contribution | $1,703 The pre-2021 commonwealth supported place (CSP) contribution amount only applies to students enrolled in a course prior to 2021. To learn more, visit our Understanding your fees page. |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,456 |
| International unit fee | $5,592 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | LLB353 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | LLH201 or LWB146. LLH201 can be studied in the same teaching period as LLB353 |
| Anti-requisite: | LWB482 |
Overview
This unit examines the regulation and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology systems. Understanding the risks, issues and opportunities raised by these systems is of growing importance to many areas of legal practice, industry and society more generally. The unit will survey key theories, approaches, and tools shaping the governance of AI and digital technologies. It will consider the intersection between AI, technology, ethics, and the law through case studies across diverse areas, including culture, politics, employment, health, housing, and the environment. The unit will explore the application of existing bodies of law to the development and use of AI and digital technologies, and the implementation of sui generis principles and governance regimes. The unit will explore future law reform and emerging regulatory models for addressing the evolving challenges posed by AI and digital technologies.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Identify and communicate, orally and in writing, the objectives and principles of AI regulation and governance arrangements, including Indigenous Australian governance frameworks (CLO 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 4.1, 4.2)
- Research and evaluate the legal, ethical, and social risks and issues arising from the development and use of AI and digital technologies in different contexts (CLO 3.1, 3.2, 3.3)
- Analyse and apply key laws and regulations that govern the development and use of AI and digital technologies in different contexts (CLO 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1)
- Evaluate different approaches to governance and regulation to enforce social and legal norms in relation to the development and use of AI and digital technologies (CLO 1.5, 2.3, 4.1)
Content
This unit explores the governance and regulation of AI and digital technologies, including:
- social, ethical, and legal issues arising from the development and deployment of these systems, such as algorithmic bias and discrimination, impacts on public discourse, safety and accountability, culture, and sustainability;
- local and global perspectives on the objectives and challenges of governing the development and deployment of AI and digital technologies;
- key regulatory theories, tools, and strategies for governance;
- sui generis, sectoral, and general law and regulation, including domestic and international frameworks;
- Indigenous governance frameworks and protocols, including Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles; and
- laws aimed at making AI environmentally sustainable.
Learning Approaches
This unit employs a problem-based and inquiry driven learning approaches to structure and conceptualise the unit content and to engage you in learning. The learning experiences provide you with the chance to think creatively and produce material evidence of your preparedness for legal practice in a rapidly evolving technology field.
This unit is delivered through a mix of online lectures and materials, live collaborative workshops, and student-led presentations. Prior to live workshops, you will be supported and engaged in this unit through the delivery of weekly material that will introduce a range of practical and theoretical perspectives. The workshops will facilitate collaborative exploration of content, problem solving and skill practice in critical analysis and effective communication. Each student will conduct at least one presentation on one of the assigned readings during the semester.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will be provided with feedback to assist your learning throughout the semester in weekly workshops. Workshops will provide an opportunity for practice and feedback on your application of the unit material.
Individual and class-wide feedback will also be provided on each of your submitted assignments.
Teaching staff are available at specified times to answer questions from you during the teaching period.
Assessment
Overview
Assessment in this unit is both formative (ie designed to provide you with feedback) and summative (ie both designed to give you feedback and linked to your assessment).
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Policy Submission
This assignment requires you to research and critically analyse the likely impact of a proposed regulatory intervention. Acting as a legal and policy expert, you will make a submission to a government inquiry into a proposed law reform. You will argue for or against law reform, drawing on legal, policy and likely practical implications in making your case.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Memo of advice
Acting as a junior solicitor in a law firm, you will research and evaluate legal, ethical, and social risks of the development, use or operation of an AI system and provide a memo of advice to a client on a complex fact scenario that clearly and concisely communicates your:
- advice on the application of legal and ethical frameworks covered in the unit to the scenario; and
- recommended response.
This assessment is a take home exam which students will have 48 hours to complete. Students will be eligible for a deferred exam in accordance with QUT's policies.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Presentation
You will conduct a presentation on one of the assigned readings for the semester to demonstrate your ability to evaluate the legal, ethical, and social implications of AI and digital technologies in different contexts and approaches to governance. In your presentation, you will:
- communicate and reflect on the key findings, ideas, theories, ethical perspectives, and thesis of the text; and
- pose theoretical, ethical and/or practical questions arising from the reading for class discussion.
This assessment is not eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Canvas Site
Online resources for this unit are available on the unit Canvas site.
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
Michael Guihot and Lyria Bennett Moses, Artificial Intelligence, Robots and the Law (LexisNexis, 2nd ed, 2025).
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with this unit.
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Online
| Unit code: | LLB353 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | LLH201 or LWB146. LLH201 can be studied in the same teaching period as LLB353 |
| Anti-requisite: | LWB482 |
Overview
This unit examines the regulation and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology systems. Understanding the risks, issues and opportunities raised by these systems is of growing importance to many areas of legal practice, industry and society more generally. The unit will survey key theories, approaches, and tools shaping the governance of AI and digital technologies. It will consider the intersection between AI, technology, ethics, and the law through case studies across diverse areas, including culture, politics, employment, health, housing, and the environment. The unit will explore the application of existing bodies of law to the development and use of AI and digital technologies, and the implementation of sui generis principles and governance regimes. The unit will explore future law reform and emerging regulatory models for addressing the evolving challenges posed by AI and digital technologies.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Identify and communicate, orally and in writing, the objectives and principles of AI regulation and governance arrangements, including Indigenous Australian governance frameworks (CLO 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 4.1, 4.2)
- Research and evaluate the legal, ethical, and social risks and issues arising from the development and use of AI and digital technologies in different contexts (CLO 3.1, 3.2, 3.3)
- Analyse and apply key laws and regulations that govern the development and use of AI and digital technologies in different contexts (CLO 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1)
- Evaluate different approaches to governance and regulation to enforce social and legal norms in relation to the development and use of AI and digital technologies (CLO 1.5, 2.3, 4.1)
Content
This unit explores the governance and regulation of AI and digital technologies, including:
- social, ethical, and legal issues arising from the development and deployment of these systems, such as algorithmic bias and discrimination, impacts on public discourse, safety and accountability, culture, and sustainability;
- local and global perspectives on the objectives and challenges of governing the development and deployment of AI and digital technologies;
- key regulatory theories, tools, and strategies for governance;
- sui generis, sectoral, and general law and regulation, including domestic and international frameworks;
- Indigenous governance frameworks and protocols, including Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles; and
- laws aimed at making AI environmentally sustainable.
Learning Approaches
This unit employs a problem-based and inquiry driven learning approaches to structure and conceptualise the unit content and to engage you in learning. The learning experiences provide you with the chance to think creatively and produce material evidence of your preparedness for legal practice in a rapidly evolving technology field.
This unit is delivered through a mix of online lectures and materials, live collaborative workshops, and student-led presentations. Prior to live workshops, you will be supported and engaged in this unit through the delivery of weekly material that will introduce a range of practical and theoretical perspectives. The workshops will facilitate collaborative exploration of content, problem solving and skill practice in critical analysis and effective communication. Each student will conduct at least one presentation on one of the assigned readings during the semester.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will be provided with feedback to assist your learning throughout the semester in weekly workshops. Workshops will provide an opportunity for practice and feedback on your application of the unit material.
Individual and class-wide feedback will also be provided on each of your submitted assignments.
Teaching staff are available at specified times to answer questions from you during the teaching period.
Assessment
Overview
Assessment in this unit is both formative (ie designed to provide you with feedback) and summative (ie both designed to give you feedback and linked to your assessment).
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Policy Submission
This assignment requires you to research and critically analyse the likely impact of a proposed regulatory intervention. Acting as a legal and policy expert, you will make a submission to a government inquiry into a proposed law reform. You will argue for or against law reform, drawing on legal, policy and likely practical implications in making your case.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Memo of advice
Acting as a junior solicitor in a law firm, you will research and evaluate legal, ethical, and social risks of the development, use or operation of an AI system and provide a memo of advice to a client on a complex fact scenario that clearly and concisely communicates your:
- advice on the application of legal and ethical frameworks covered in the unit to the scenario; and
- recommended response.
This assessment is a take home exam which students will have 48 hours to complete. Students will be eligible for a deferred exam in accordance with QUT's policies.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Presentation
You will conduct a presentation on one of the assigned readings for the semester to demonstrate your ability to evaluate the legal, ethical, and social implications of AI and digital technologies in different contexts and approaches to governance. In your presentation, you will:
- communicate and reflect on the key findings, ideas, theories, ethical perspectives, and thesis of the text; and
- pose theoretical, ethical and/or practical questions arising from the reading for class discussion.
This assessment is not eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Canvas Site
Online resources for this unit are available on the unit Canvas site.
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
Michael Guihot and Lyria Bennett Moses, Artificial Intelligence, Robots and the Law (LexisNexis, 2nd ed, 2025).
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with this unit.