About CUHK Law
The Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK LAW) was founded in 2004 as a School of Law and elevated to Faculty status in 2008. In the 2014 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) organized by the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong, CUHK LAW was recognized as the leading research law faculty in Hong Kong.
About the CLINDS Conference
CUHK LAW’s Centre for Legal Innovation and Digital Society (CLINDS) invites scholars, policymakers, and experts in law and related fields to submit abstracts for its conference on “Legal Responses to the Existential Threat Posed by Artificial Intelligence,” scheduled for 26-27 September 2025 at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The conference will address how law can respond to the existential risks associated with AI development. Despite AI’s significant potential, experts have expressed serious concerns about the existential dangers it could pose. Although initial global concern peaked around 2023–24, enthusiasm for rapid AI development has now overtaken caution, fueled by geopolitical and commercial interests following innovations like DeepSeek and Manus. Despite the ongoing risks, regulatory efforts have so far focused on narrower issues like consumer safety and data protection, without confronting the broader existential threat. This conference seeks to explore the role law should play in facing this unprecedented challenge.
About Call for Papers
The conference welcomes papers and abstracts that examine the legal dimensions of AI’s existential risks from any perspective. Those seeking travel funding should request it alongside their abstract submission; funding decisions will be based on the quality of the proposed work. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute to an edited book project expanding on Druzin, Boute, and Ramsden’s work, “Confronting Catastrophic Risk: The International Obligation to Regulate Artificial Intelligence,” published in the Michigan Journal of International Law (2025).
Themes
- Existential risks posed by AI
- Public understanding and communication of AI risks
- Geopolitical impacts on AI development
- AI, international relations, and global competition
- Human rights law implications of AI threats
- Application of the precautionary principle to AI
- Proposals for international legal governance of AI
- Lessons from other global regulatory regimes (such as nuclear arms control and climate change efforts)
- Review of regulatory responses in the EU (EU AI Act), US (national and state initiatives), China, and other jurisdictions
- Evaluation of soft law measures
- Cross-national comparisons of AI regulation
- Practicality of control measures for AI systems, including shutdown requirements
How to Submit?
Interested individuals can submit their abstracts and papers through the provided link. Submissions should clearly state the proposed paper title and abstract.
Important Dates
- Abstract submission deadline (maximum 350 words): 30 April 2025
- Notification of acceptance: 20 May 2025
- Final paper submission deadline (around 6000 words): 15 August 2025
- Registration deadline for accepted participants: 20 August 2025
