Bridging Disciplines: What can AI students learn from a Legal Workshop? (And what can it learn from them?) - Reflections from the FLL Workshop #2 at VU
The Futurist Law Lab Team
A collaborative reflection from our team members who hosted the VU workshop: Laura, Kris, Matthew, Julia, Clara, and Kate.
The second FLL workshop, hosted by team members Laura, Kris, Matthew, Julia, Clara, and Kate, took place at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) on June 10th. Our first session outside the University of Amsterdam (UvA) marked a significant step in expanding our initiative into a new academic community.
The workshop brought together an engaged group of students, many of whom were studying artificial intelligence and working on theses closely aligned with the subject of our workshop. In that sense, the interdisciplinary nature of the session became immediately clear: While our materials approach AI mostly through a legal lens, participants contributed technical perspectives that enriched the discussion, making it more dynamic and diverse. A clear example of this came from a student researching AI in medical diagnostics. Her examples of emerging technologies in that area prompted our group to explore how more nuanced applications of AI, that is, less easily categorizable, would be classified under the EU Act. This exchange highlighted the value of the workshops in promoting collaborative, real-world problem-solving.
Another interesting aspect of this session was that the more intimate group size at VU allowed for a shift in our usual format. Rather than structured paired stakeholder debates, the session evolved into a free-flowing conversation where participants engaged with one another across all stakeholder roles. The result was a dynamic, open exchange, almost like a debate between friends on the trade-offs in AI governance.
We concluded the session by opening the floor for feedback, and received an overall positive reaction regarding our balance between content delivery and interactivity. Participants highlighted that this balance promoted the clarity of the material and the accessibility of legal concepts, particularly valuable in a room, as opposed to our previous PPLE workshop, where most came from technical AI, rather than legal, backgrounds. This demonstrates what became one of our favorite aspects of the FLL workshops, that is, not only clearly communicating our content but also ensuring that it remains meaningful for every type of audience. We also value seeing that participants aren't just absorbing the content, but actively processing and critically engaging with it. And, judging by the VU students' involvement and insightful questions, it was clear that they were.
In summary, this workshop demonstrated the heart of FLL's purpose: Creating space for productive conversations between disciplines. Whether participants come from law, tech, or any other field, our goal is always to present the material in a way that is relevant, challenging, and thought-provoking for everyone. The VU session reinforced the value of interdisciplinary dialogue between law and technology, something we remain committed to in every workshop we deliver.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the participants who made this session such a meaningful experience - Your engagement was truly appreciated!
Interested in joining the conversation? Find out when our next workshop is taking place on our LinkedIn (Futurist Law Lab) or Instagram (@Futuristlawlab)!