Regulating emerging technologies

The Technology in the Public Interest research cluster explores how technological innovations can be effectively governed to support both equity and efficiency.

This research cluster considers how regulatory frameworks should calibrate competing economic, social, and cultural interests in developing new technologies to advance the public good. The regulation of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain and the internet of things, are critically analysed through the lenses of social justice and inclusion.

An important part of the work of this research cluster is contribution to the law reform discourse in relevant areas, including AI, intellectual property, privacy, competition and media law.

Projects in this cluster include:

This major, interdisciplinary project, funded by the Australian Office of National Intelligence, brings together an expert team consisting of computer scientists, a natural language processing expert and a lawyer, to explore how a conversational AI bot can be utilised to combat phone scams.

Visit the ARC grant site for this project for more information.

Researchers

As Australian and Gulf region Fintech entities seek to utilise new technologies to develop innovative financial services and offer them on international markets, they commonly struggle with understanding the complex labyrinth of laws that govern transactions.

Guided by advice from the Qatar Fintech Hub, Hatch Quarter and the Macquarie Incubator, this international project team will develop a ‘Guide to Fintech Investment and Regulation in Australia and the Gulf Region’ for use by prospective investors and fintech start-ups.

Researchers

The Digital Finance CRC brings together a unique group of stakeholders in fintech, industry, research and regulation to develop and capitalise on the huge commercial opportunities arising from the next transformation of the financial markets – the universal digitisation of all assets so they can be traded and exchanged directly and in real-time between any individual or organisation.

Visit the Digital Finance CRC website for more information.

Researchers

This project team, funded by the CSIRO, seeks to support the development and deployment of robust, efficient and trusted CBDC through the design, engineering, proving and integration of a suite of technologies including blockchain, security and privacy preserving solutions and regtech (surveillance, alerting and compliance) technologies.

Visit the CSIRO projects page for more information.

Researchers
  • Associate Professor Chris Berg
  • Professor Fang Chen
  • Professor Andreas Furche
  • Professor Iqbal Gondal
  • Professor Talis Putnins
  • Professor Niloufer Selvadurai

A dual-researcher project, “Governing the interface between natural and formal language in smart contracts” explores how technical and legal language can be harmonised in blockchain based smart contracts.

Researchers

Acknowledging difficulty of discerning intention in blockchain based contracts, this project explores how traditional concepts of contract law can be applied to blockchain based smart contracts and what law reforms are needed to support efficiency and fairness in this area.

Researchers
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