2024 Hargrove Colloquium: Media Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/16/2024
7:00 pm - 8:45 pm

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Join us on April 16, 2024, for an exploration of the legal landscape surrounding media and artificial intelligence as we navigate the complexities of this rapidly evolving field. Come hear from David McCraw, deputy general counsel at The New York Times Co. and author of the book Truth in Our Times: Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts, as well as Ruth Okediji from Harvard Law School, who served as a member of the National Academies’ Board on Science, Technology and Policy Committee on the Impact of Copyright Policy on Innovation in the Digital Era.

Our distinguished panel of experts will examine efforts at the federal and state level to prevent potential abuse of AI and will delve into the impact of generative AI on critical areas of media law, offering insights and sparking thought-provoking discussion. Key areas of focus will include:

• Copyright Law: Who owns the creative output generated by AI? What is the impact on copyright holders when their work is used in training AI systems? How will existing copyright frameworks adapt to accommodate generative AI?
• Defamation and Tort Law: Who, if anyone, can be held liable for harmful or defamatory content that AI generates? What are the legal implications for users and platforms employing AI-powered algorithms to curate and publish information?
• Political Communication: How is AI being used in political campaigns and advertising? What are the potential risks and safeguards around AI-powered misinformation and voter manipulation?
• Journalism: How is AI transforming the news industry? What are the legal and ethical considerations surrounding AI-generated news? How can journalists leverage AI while upholding journalistic integrity?

Confirmed panelists:

• Nadine Farid Johnson, Policy Director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
• Lyrissa Lidsky, Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Chair in U.S. Constitutional Law at the University of Florida
• David McCraw, Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel at the New York Times
• Ruth Okediji, Jeremiah Smith, Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and Co-Director of the Berkman Klein Center

The conversation will be moderated by David Ardia, Reef C. Ivey II Excellence Fund Term Professor of Law at the UNC School of Law and Co-Director of the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy.

The Colloquium will take place at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center at the University of North Carolina and is free and open to the public. Visitor parking is available in the Rams Head Parking Deck.

Whether you’re a lawyer, journalist, media executive, or simply curious about the intersection of AI and media, we hope that you will join us for this thought-provoking exploration of Media Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

About the Colloquium

The UNC Center for Media Law and Policy hosts the Wade H. Hargrove Media Law and Policy Colloquium, which was established in 2009 to honor Wade Hargrove, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the UNC School of Law, and to provide a forum for the discussion of media law and policy issues. It was funded in part by Hearst Communications, the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, and the North Carolina Cable Telecommunications Association to recognize the more than 30 years of service that Mr. Hargrove provided to these organizations as well as media and technology companies throughout North Carolina and the nation.

The colloquium is a world-class event that draws attendees from both industry and academia. Speakers have included David Barrett, former chairman and CEO of Hearst Television Inc.; Ben Sherwood, former president of Disney|ABC Television; Floyd Abrams, Senior Counsel at Cahill Gordon & Reindel; and David Cohen, Ambassador to Canada and former senior executive vice president of Comcast Corp. Past colloquia have been televised by C-SPAN and UNC-TV.