Call for Papers: Second Artificial Intelligence, Law and Society (AILS) Conference 2027, Macquarie University, Sydney [11-12 February 2027]

Macquarie University invites abstracts for the second Artificial Intelligence, Law and Society (AILS) conference, to be held at Macquarie University, Sydney, on 11-12 February 2027.

The conference addresses the rapid advancement and integration of AI and other sophisticated technologies into various sectors of society. These technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for innovation, efficiency and problem-solving, but they also pose significant ethical and legal challenges that must be carefully articulated, regulated and governed so that their development and deployment are both beneficial and just.

The aim is a dynamic, interdisciplinary platform where scholars and policy makers discuss research on the ethical, social, legal and governance issues surrounding AI, to inform ongoing AI policy and law-making debates. The conference is supported by the ARC Discovery Project 'Generative AI and Creative Industries' (DP250102392, Macquarie University).

Submissions may examine ethical, social and governance or regulatory issues relevant to the use of AI technologies across a range of contexts. The themes are:

• Ethical and legal challenges of AI: bias in AI algorithms, privacy concerns, accountability and transparency, including the ethical, social and legal challenges of deploying AI in specific industries and sectors such as the creative industries, law, healthcare, education, finance and government.
• Social impacts of AI: how AI affects society at large, including labour markets, social inequalities and human rights.
• AI governance and regulation: evaluating existing regulations, proposing new regulatory frameworks and exploring international governance models, including legislative and governance solutions for the ethical governance of AI such as industry self-regulation, governmental oversight and international cooperation.

The submission form also has an 'Other' option for work that does not align neatly with these themes.

The conference is cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary. Submissions are welcome from diverse disciplines including (but not limited to) law, policy, economics, philosophy, sociology, business and management, psychological sciences, health and medical sciences, natural sciences and computer sciences.

Co-authored work is accepted. Paper presentations are expected to be delivered in person at the conference in Sydney, so applicants from India should plan for their own travel and visa.

• First author's full name, email, affiliation and a short bio of up to 100 words.
• Co-authors' full names, emails and affiliations, all entered on one page of the form (there are no separate pages per co-author).
• Title of the proposed presentation.
• Abstract or outline of up to 600 words.
• The conference theme(s) the work aligns with, or 'Other'.

Submit the abstract through the official online form (linked below) by 15 October 2026. Acceptances will be communicated by early November 2026.

There is no fee to submit an abstract. The conference website states that registrations are opening soon; registration fees, if any, had not been published at the time of writing. Check the official website before planning.

Macquarie Law School, Michael Kirby Building, 17 Wally's Walk, Wallumattagal Campus, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

• A/Prof Rita Matulionyte
• A/Prof Sarah Bankins
• Dr Tom Montefiore
• Prof Paul Formosa