SMU Centre for Digital Law

After kicking off with deep-dive workshops on Monday, the main conference days at ICAIL 2026 have moved at a demanding pace. Over the past 48 hours at SMU, we’ve seen technologists and legal scholars move seamlessly between high-level AI governance frameworks and the hard technical realities of neuro-symbolic models and legal data analysis.

At ICAIL 2026 yesterday, we were honoured to host a keynote address by The Honourable Justice Aidan Xu (Judge of the General Division of the High Court, Supreme Court, and Judge in Charge of Transformation and Innovation, Singapore Judiciary). Presenting on "𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦," Justice Xu provided a timely and institutionally grounded reflection on the requirements of responsible AI. He proposed the integration of AI as an important matter of judicial system design and technology adoption. His overall techno-realist address touched on the benefits of AI for effectiveness and access to justice but also elaborated on the risks of obscured reasoning, the "liar's dividend" of AI-generated evidence, and a dystopian scenario of disengaged vibe judging. To spark further discourse, Justice Xu posed critical questions for researchers and practitioners alike, exploring how the community might approach building inspectable AI reasoning, measuring judicial impacts, and establishing credible frameworks for evaluation.

As we look ahead to the final day of and the concluding round of workshops, is excited to continue engaging in discussions, fostering new collaborations, and advancing research at the intersection of AI and law.

🔗 For more information, visit: https://site.smu.edu.sg/icail-2026

ICAIL is hosted by the International Association for Artificial Intelligence and Law (IAAIL), in cooperation with ACM-SIGAI and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), together with SMU Yong Pung How School of Law.

The 𝟐𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐰 (𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐈𝐋) 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 commenced this week at the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law, bringing together leading scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and industry experts from around the world to advance critical conversations at the intersection of AI and law.

Held in Asia for the first time, ICAIL 2026 has brought together over 200 legal and tech practitioners from across diverse jurisdictions, fostering a uniquely global exchange of perspectives across workshops, tutorials, and poster sessions. A major highlight of Day 1 was Professor Shen Weixing’s (Tsinghua University) invited talk, "𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘦: 𝘌𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘐 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘢𝘸". By emphasising that reliable legal AI requires deep integration of structured legal knowledge and logic, Prof. Shen’s message highlighted exactly why ICAIL 2026 matters. Bridging the divide between technologists and legal experts is essential to building AI tools the profession can genuinely trust.

The energy and engagement throughout the opening days reflect the dynamism of a field that continues to evolve rapidly. We are delighted to see researchers and practitioners from jurisdictions across the world sharing their insights, challenging assumptions, and exploring new directions for AI and law.

With two more conference days and another round of workshops still ahead, looks forward to further thought-provoking discussions and new insights. Stay tuned for more highlights from !

🔗 For more information, visit: https://site.smu.edu.sg/icail-2026

ICAIL is hosted by the International Association for Artificial Intelligence and Law (IAAIL), in cooperation with ACM-SIGAI and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), together with SMU Yong Pung How School of Law.

congratulates Asst Profs Jerrold Soh and Nydia Remolina, together with our External Research Fellow Josh Lee Kok Thong and our Industry Fellow Cheryl Seah, on their contributions to the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore’s (IMDA) discussion paper on 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘐 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.

Launched at Asia Tech x Singapore, the discussion paper brings together perspectives from a working group comprising members of Singapore’s legal community to examine how existing private law frameworks may apply to increasingly autonomous and agentic AI systems. The paper explores potential liability models and considers how legal responsibility may be allocated as AI agents become more widely deployed across commercial and societal contexts.

The discussion paper addresses timely and complex questions surrounding accountability, transparency, and risk allocation in AI-enabled environments, particularly as agentic systems begin to exercise greater autonomy in decision-making and interactions. By examining how existing legal doctrines may adapt to emerging technological realities, the paper contributes meaningfully to ongoing policy and regulatory conversations on AI governance in Singapore and beyond.

The contributions of the authors reflect our continued engagement in interdisciplinary research and policy discussions at the intersection of law, technology, and AI.

Read the paper here:https://www.imda.gov.sg/-/media/imda/files/about/emerging-tech-and-research/artificial-intelligence/agents-legal-responsibility.pdf

At the CB+DC Conference held at Sasana Kijang, Bank Negara Malaysia, Faculty Member Prof Heng Wang spoke on the intersection of digital currencies, agentic AI, and governance. His remarks explored the foundations needed to support digital finance, from wallet infrastructure and technological architecture to adaptive governance mechanisms capable of responding to emerging risks and opportunities.

The discussions also considered how trust and reliance operates across multiple layers of interaction—between individuals, between humans and technology, and increasingly between AI agents themselves—as well as the legal and governance challenges that arise when AI systems shape financial decision-making and transactions.

Prof Wang also shared his perspectives on the future of digital currencies and the governance frameworks required to support their responsible development and adoption. As emerging technologies continue to reshape financial systems, we look forward to advancing these important conversations on digital currencies, AI governance, and the future of financial regulation.

Read Prof Wang’s articles:
• 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘐𝘵𝘴 𝘈𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴’ 𝘏𝘦𝘦𝘭? 𝘜𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘐 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘳: https://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/bjcfcl/vol20/iss2/3/
• 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: https://scholarlycommons.law.emory.edu/eilr/vol40/iss1/3/

Industry Fellow Lanx Goh, Global Head of Privacy at Prudentialplc, recently published an article in the Journal of Data Protection & Privacy titled 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘐 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘓𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢: 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, co-authored with Vinni Kalra Francis.

The authors examine the evolving AI and privacy law landscapes across Europe and selected Asian jurisdictions. The article analyses diverse regulatory models—from rights-based and state-centric frameworks to more pragmatic and innovation-oriented approaches—and considers their implications for cross-border data transfers, compliance, trust, and international interoperability.

The authors propose a practical pathway towards greater regulatory cooperation, including stronger dialogue between regulators and professional bodies, greater alignment on technical standards, sector-specific frameworks, and longer-term mutual recognition mechanisms. Their analysis underscores the importance of developing governance models that can support responsible AI innovation while safeguarding privacy, accountability, and public trust.

Reflecting Lanx’s continued contributions to global discussions on AI governance, privacy, and digital regulation, he has also been appointed a Founding Board Member of Global Digital Advisory, an invite-only group of senior executives recognised for their global leadership, independent perspective, and strategic insight.

We look forward to his continued contributions to advancing international dialogue on AI governance, data protection, and the future of digital regulation.

Read the article here: https://hstalks.com/article/11492/comparative-analysis-of-ai-and-privacy-laws-in-eur/?business

As AI systems become increasingly embedded in society, how can governance frameworks keep pace while preserving accountability, trust, and innovation?

These themes shaped discussions at The AI Summit Singapore, held as part of ATxEnterprise, where Director Assoc Prof Jason Grant Allen participated in the panel “𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘐 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦: 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦”.

The session explored how organisations can operationalise responsible AI across departments and jurisdictions, moving beyond high-level ethical principles towards practical governance systems that embed fairness, transparency, accountability, auditability, and traceability into AI workflows. Discussions also examined the challenges of implementing compliant and trustworthy AI systems within Southeast Asia’s evolving and diverse regulatory landscape.

Assoc Prof Allen joined an esteemed panel comprising Victoria Wymark (Data and AI Transformation Director, Algnite Women), Kelly Forbes (President and Executive Director, AI Asia Pacific Institute), and Hazremi Hamid (Senior Officer, Digital Economy (AI Governance), ASEAN Secretariat). The session was moderated by Jonathan Gonzalez (Associate Director, AI Governance, Access Partnership).

The discussion highlighted the growing importance of interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration in shaping responsible AI governance frameworks that can support innovation while strengthening public trust, accountability, and regulatory coherence across borders.

wishes our Muslim friends, colleagues, and community a blessed Hari Raya Haji! May this season of reflection, sacrifice, and compassion bring peace, renewal, and meaningful moments with loved ones. Selamat Hari Raya Haji!

recently hosted a webinar featuring Victor Dorokhin, legal scholar and author of 𝘓𝘢𝘸, 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘴: 𝘈𝘯 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (Edward Elgar, 2026). The session drew on themes from his newly published book, which critically re-examines the relationship between law, morality, and economic reasoning in contemporary legal theory.

The session explored the relationship between law, morality, and economic reasoning through a critical reassessment of Richard Posner’s theory of wealth maximization and the broader Chicago School approach to law and economics. Drawing on Austrian economics, cognitive science, and psychological theories of law, Victor introduced the concept of “moral costs” — non-monetary yet behaviourally significant burdens experienced by individuals in legal and economic interactions.

The discussion examined how moral costs may challenge conventional economic approaches to legal analysis, while offering new ways of understanding justice, efficiency, and legal normativity. The webinar also considered the implications of these ideas for emerging technological and regulatory contexts, including the limitations of AI and algorithmic systems in recognising and evaluating human moral experiences within legal decision-making.

We thank Victor for an insightful and thought-provoking presentation, and for contributing to SMUCDL’s ongoing conversations at the intersection of legal theory, economics, and emerging technologies.

Read the book here: https://www.elgaronline.com/monobook/book/9781035379507/9781035379507.xml

is pleased to share that SMUYPHSL Assoc Prof Dorcas Quek Anderson has recently published a new article in the International Journal of Conflict Management, titled 𝘕𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴, co-authored with Ngo Tra My. Supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore (MOE)’s Academic Research Fund Tier 2, the study examines how different communication media influence negotiation outcomes, and how these effects are shaped by negotiator characteristics.

Drawing on an experimental study involving 400 participants negotiating relational disputes across face-to-face (FTF), videoconferencing, audio call, and synchronous text messaging formats, the research offers timely insights into negotiation and dispute resolution in an increasingly digital environment.

Key findings from the study include:
1️⃣ Synchronous text-based negotiations produced poorer outcomes than the other media, both economically and non-economically.
2️⃣ FTF negotiations generated higher trust than video and audio negotiations, suggesting that in-person interaction may be especially valuable in complex disputes where building trust with unfamiliar parties is critical.
3️⃣ Joint value creation was higher in audio than FTF negotiations, challenging conventional assumptions based on media richness theories.
4️⃣ No other significant differences were found across FTF, video, and audio negotiations, indicating the absence of a direct relationship between media richness and favourable negotiation outcomes.
5️⃣ Several negotiator traits moderated the effect of communication media on negotiation outcomes. For instance, dyads with high assertiveness achieved lower joint value creation in FTF than audio and video negotiations.

Overall, the study underscores that there is no universally optimal mode of negotiation. Instead, the characteristics and interpersonal dynamics of negotiators play a critical role in determining negotiation success. As organisations and professionals increasingly rely on hybrid and digital communication channels, these findings provide valuable guidance for navigating negotiations, managing conflict, and fostering effective collaboration in both legal and business contexts.

Read the full article here: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/4831/

We are delighted to welcome Joshua Jay Castle as an External Research Fellow at the SMU Centre for Digital Law.

Joshua Castle is a PhD candidate at The Australian National University's School of Cybernetics, where his research develops a philosophical framework for governing societies in the age of exponential AI — asking what structural conditions keep human freedom and imagination genuinely open alongside the technologies we build. His work sits at the intersection of political philosophy, cognitive science, and cybernetics systems theory. An XPRIZE Award-winning innovator, Joshua has worked across multiple startups on challenges from knowledge management to carbon removal, as well as research used for Australian policy.

We look forward to Joshua’s contributions to ’s research community, particularly in advancing interdisciplinary scholarship on AI governance, cybernetics, and the societal implications of emerging technologies.

Learn more about our Affiliates: https://cdl.smu.edu.sg/people/affiliates

ANU School of Cybernetics