The 25th Interdisciplinary lecture of Law hosted by China Institute for Socio-Legal Studies was successfully held

On the afternoon of October 23rd, the 25th Interdisciplinary lecture of Law hosted by China Institute for Socio-Legal Studies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University was successfully held in Room 206, North Building Four, Xuhui Campus. The lecture was delivered by Jia Kai, Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, on the topic “The Production Dilemma of Artificial Intelligence and Cooperative Theory as a Potential Breakthrough Alternative.” The lecture was hosted by Yang Li, Distinguished Professor at KoGuan School of Law of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Executive Deputy Director of the Institute for Smart Justice. Ji Weidong, Senior Professor of Liberal Arts at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Dean of China Institute for Socio-Legal Studies, gave the opening speech. Participants in the discussion included Chen Jidong, Associate Professor at the Law School of Tongji University, Xiao Mengli, Deputy Director of the Sociology of Law Research Center at East China University of Science and Technology, Qiu Yaokun, Associate Professor at KoGuan School of Law and China Institute for Socio-Legal Studies of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Wu Shangxuan, Distinguished Associate Researcher at the School of International Law of East China University of Political Science and Law, along with many faculty and students from inside and outside the university.

Professor YANG Li hosted the lecture, welcomed Associate Professor Jia Kai, and briefly introduced the guests.

Professor JI Weidong, on behalf of the Institute of China Law and Society at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, extended a warm welcome to Associate Professor Jia Kai and introduced his interdisciplinary academic background, main research areas, and topics. He expressed enthusiastic appreciation for the participation of all experts, scholars, and students, hoping to use this opportunity to enhance the exchange between relevant research institutions and researchers and the legal sociology research community at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Associate Professor Jia Kai began his presentation by combining his observations and understanding of the era of artificial intelligence to discuss four debates in the context of production models: Is open source an appropriate path for AI development? How will the bottlenecks in deep learning (large language models) be overcome? Does the fundamental technological trajectory of AI need revision, and how will the debate over technological paths evolve? How can the inclusiveness, democracy, and fairness of AI development be achieved? He discussed several bottlenecks facing current AI development based on previous controversies in the history of AI. Addressing the production dilemmas of AI, Professor Jia suggested viewing AI as a production phenomenon that combines mechanistic and organic aspects, with cooperative theory as a potential way out of these dilemmas. Finally, Professor Jia provided a detailed analysis of the theoretical definition of cooperation and a four-dimensional analytical framework of “technology, structure, institution, and idea.”

During the discussion phase, Associate Professor Chen Jidong, drawing on his teaching and research experience, proposed that the implementation of law proceeds through three stages: the formation of legal concepts, the creation of legal rules, and the application of these rules in specific cases, a process that relies on understanding the essence of things. In the era of artificial intelligence, the specific technical architecture and governance solutions of AI, along with a rich source of knowledge and a clear understanding of the essence of things, become even more crucial. Additionally, he integrated cooperative theory with legal relations, arguing that in the aforementioned four-dimensional analytical framework, technology itself determines the formation and implementation of rules, and technology supports the concept of rules and digital space.