RAILS is the legal response to the increasing digitalization of our modern society. RAILS is committed to the responsible development of intelligent systems. We are working on a legal framework that facilitates technical developments, avoids discrimination, ensures equal treatment and transparency, protects fundamental democratic principles and ensures that all parties involved are adequately participating in the economic results of the digitalization.
RAILS. Who we are
Artificial intelligence (AI) and (intelligent) robotics are changing our society. This presents legal, ethical, social and political challenges that are not yet clear at this stage. RAILS wants to address these challenges and actively shape the discussion about the current and future national and international legal framework for AI and robotics by identifying the need for regulatory action and developing concrete recommendations.
The aim is to ensure that intelligent systems are designed in a responsible way, providing a legal framework that facilitates technical developments, avoids discrimination, ensures equal treatment and transparency, protects fundamental democratic principles and ensures that all parties involved are adequately participating in the economic results of the digitalization. We are convinced that this goal can only be achieved on an interdisciplinary basis. The interdisciplinary orientation and interdisciplinary cooperation in the society’s sections is therefore of crucial importance underlining at the same time RAILS’s self-image of not being an obstacle, but rather a pioneer in shaping the future.
RAILS was founded – after a first meeting in Berlin at the beginning of 2017 – in August of the same year with headquarters in Hannover. The founding members are Prof. Dr. Martin Ebers, Prof. Dr. Jan Eichelberger, Prof. Dr. -Ing. Sami Haddadin, Prof. Dr. Christian Heinze, RAin Prof. Dr. Tina Krügel, Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Schwintowski, Dr. Björn Steinrötter and Prof. Dr. Arthur-Axel Wandtke.
AILS maintains cooperations with several partners, including:
- Recht innovativAttorney Claudia Otto (publisher and editor-in-chief)
- MultiMedia und RechtAnke Zimmer-Helfrich (editor-in-chief)
- „Institut für das Recht der Digitalisierung“, University of Marburg (Contact: Prof. Dr. Florian Möslein, LL.M. (London) and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Omlor, LL.M. (NYU), LL.M. Eur.)
- Institut für Digitale Technologien (IFDT), Contact: Dr. Kyrill Meyer
- RAILS is a member of the advisory board of the BMBF-funded research project „KoBo34“
- Member of "working group "LegalTech" of the Faculty of Laws of Humboldt University Berlin
- LegalTech Lab Frankfurt, www.legaltechlab.de
- eLegal Göttingen, www.elegal-göttingen.de
Further information will be added soon.
Executive Board
Associate Professor of IT Law at the University of Tartu (Estonia) and permanent research fellow (Privatdozent) at the Humboldt University of Berlin.
Junior Professor for IT and Media Law at the University of Potsdam.
Juniorprofessorin für öffentliches Recht, Digitalisierung und Datenschutzrecht an der FernUniversität Hagen
Research expert (tort) law and AI KU Leuven Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP); Senior researcher Flemish Knowledge Centre Data & Society
Team
Board of Trustees
The board of trustees consists of renowned scientists and public figures. The task of the board of trustees is advisory in nature, while at the same time ensuring the quality of RAILS’ projects. Members of the Board of Trustees are:
- Jan Philipp Albrecht (European parliament)
- Prof. Dr. Susanne Beck (University of Hannover)
- Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Forgó (University of Vienna)
- Prof. Dr. Christian Heinze (University of Heidelberg)
- Prof. Dr. Dr. Eric Hilgendorf (University of Würzburg)
- Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Kilian (Universität Hannover)
- Prof. Dr. Giovanni Sartor (European University Institute)
- Prof. Dr. Mario Martini (University of Speyer)
- Prof. Dra. Susana Navas Navarro (Univers. Autonoma de Barcelona)
- Prof. Dr. Joachim Scherer (Partner at Baker McKenzie)
- Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Schwintowski (Humboldt University of Berlin)
- Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Spoerr (Partner at Hengeler Müller)
- Prof. Dr. Artur-Axel Wandtke (Humboldt University of Berlin)
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board consists of representatives from the practice. The aim is to identify current and future problems in practice and to address them in an interdisciplinary and scholarly manner.
Members of the Advisory Board are:
- Hengeler Mueller (Contact person: Dr. Albrecht Conrad, Partner)
- Taylor Wessing (Contact person: Dr. Axel Freiherr von dem Bussche, Partner und Dr. Tobias Schelinski, Partner)
- Baker McKenzie (Ansprechpartner: Dr. Michaela Nebel, Partnerin und Frau Caroline Heinickel, Counsel)