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In this episode, Dr Lauren Sanders talks with Professor Ryan Abbott about the legal standards and challenges of integrating artificial intelligence into current legal regimes.  They discuss his recent book, The Reasonable Robot, which traverses different areas of law and how they treat AI – whether incentivising or disincentivising technological development in AI – and what his theory of legal neutrality for artificial intelligence in law is and how it could work.  They also cover his recent case in the Australian Federal Court dealing with recognition of AI as an inventor in patent applications. 

Professor Abbott  is a Professor of Law and Health Sciences at the University of Surrey and is highly regarded for his scholarship, teaching, and professional activities. He has published widely on issues associated with law and technology, health law, and intellectual property in leading legal, medical, and scientific books and journals. Professor Abbott has worked as a partner in legal practice, and he has been outside general counsel to life science companies. He has served as a consultant or expert for international organizations, academic institutions and non-profit enterprises including the United Kingdom Parliament, European Commission, World Health Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. 

Professor Abbott is a licensed physician, attorney, and acupuncturist in the United States, as well as a solicitor advocate in England and Wales and has also worked as an expert witness which has included testifying in U.S. federal court.

Further reading: 

• Ryan Abbott, The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law, (2020: Cambridge University Press) 
• Alexandra Jones, 'Artificial intelligence can now be recognised as an inventor after historic Australian court decision', ABC News Online (1 August 2021)
•  Ryan Calo, A. Michael Froomkin, and Ian Kerr (eds), Robot Law, (2016: Edward Elgar)
• Jacob Turner, Robot Rules - Regulating Artificial Intelligence, (2019: Palgrave)
•  Simon Chesterman, We, the Robots?: Regulating Artificial Intelligence and the Limits of the Law, (2021: Cambridge University Press).