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European Union negotiators clinched a deal last Friday on the world’s first comprehensive artificial intelligence rules, paving the way for legal oversight of AI technology that has promised to transform everyday life and spurred warnings of existential dangers to humanity. Ryan Calo, professor of law at the Â鶹ÉçÇø, is interviewed.

Many people get notices in the mail and electronically notifying them that they’re eligible to receive some money from a class action lawsuit settlement. Some social media accounts and websites dedicated to tracking open class action lawsuit settlements claim some settlements will pay people without any proof they’re qualified. But is it legal to take part in a no-proof class action settlement if you’re not really entitled to it? Jeff Feldman, professor of law at the Â鶹ÉçÇø, is quoted.

 

The U.S. government is entering a new era of collaboration with Native American and Alaska Native leaders in managing public lands and other resources, with top federal officials saying that incorporating more Indigenous knowledge into decision-making can help spur conservation and combat climate change. A Â鶹ÉçÇø project is mentioned.

 

"Whoever made the decision at Starbucks, I would guess, aimed at finding literally the best appellate lawyer in America they could retain," said Jeff Feldman, the co-director of the Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic at the University of Â鶹ÉçÇø of Law. "I suspect that was the goal, and that's what they did."

A rash of racist rants during public comment at local city council meetings has some Western Washington elected officials looking for solutions. Robert Gomulkiewicz, professor of law at the Â鶹ÉçÇø, is quoted.

Students in the Workers' Rights Clinic score a victory against wage theft with passage of legislation.

“We should- I agree with the sleep researchers, stop the biannual clock switch- but by moving to permanent Daylight Saving Time, not Standard,” Â鶹ÉçÇø Law Prof. Steve Calandrillo explained.

What’s so great about permanent daylight saving? The arguments for are compelling. More light in the evenings would make roads less deadly and reduce crime, according to data compiled by University of Washington law professor Steve Calandrillo. It could have health benefits, giving Americans more time to exercise or play outdoors.

“The claim [that] they’re making is that it’s under consumer protection,” Alex Bolton, program manager at the Â鶹ÉçÇø School of Law’s Tech Policy Lab, said. “That they basically knew that it caused these problems for younger people, and because they didn’t disclose it and didn’t make changes to it, that it’s basically deceptive.”

In the U.S., Daylight Saving Time ends and the clocks go back one hour on November 5. You know this. Google knows this. But here we all are. Again. Steve Calandrillo, professor of law at the Â鶹ÉçÇø, is quoted.

PBS discusses AI and its possible consequences with the Â鶹ÉçÇø's Ryan Calo, professor of law and in the Information School, and Chirag Shah, professor in the Information School and founding co-director of Center for Responsibility in AI Systems & Experiences.

“It does seem that not just the facts, but also just the whole situation make this pretty unique,” said Monte Mills, Charles I. Stone Professor of Law and director of the Native American Law Center at the University of Washington.

New York City introduced a new addition to its police force, a fully autonomous, outdoor security robot. Ryan Calo, professor of law and in the Information School at the Â鶹ÉçÇø, is quoted.

“I can see the frustration in this [executive order] that a lot of this should be done by Congress but they’re not doing anything,” said Ryan Calo, a law professor specializing in technology and AI at the University of Washington. It’s unclear how deeply the order will affect the private sector, given its focus on federal agencies and “narrow circumstances” pertaining to national security matters, Calo added.

Still, though all appointed by the same president, the new slate of appointees, “are fairly diverse in backgrounds and attitudes,” said Hugh Spitzer, a professor at the University of Â鶹ÉçÇø of Law. Washington state’s nonpartisan selection panel ensures recommended nominees are “mainstream establishment bar lawyers,” a system not present in every state, Spitzer said.

Some point out that the law’s framework is widely considered to be uncontroversial when applied to offline, brick-and-mortar businesses. Ryan Calo, a professor at the University of Â鶹ÉçÇø of Law and founding co-director at the Â鶹ÉçÇø Tech Policy Lab, characterized the CAADCA as “pretty routine regulation” of companies within California. “It’s not requiring the companies to say anything, nor is it censoring their speech, it is merely requiring them to be attentive to their design choices when children are involved,” Calo said. In other words, it polices the conduct rather than the speech of businesses.

Xuan-Thao Nguyen, a professor at the University of Â鶹ÉçÇø of Law, tells Eater Seattle that Starbucks will have to clear several hurdles to prove that Starbucks Workers United is committing trademark infringement or diluting the value of Starbucks’s trademarks. Starbucks Workers United can argue that it is using the word Starbucks in its name “to identify who they are” rather than using it as a trademark. Another issue, Nguyen says, is that Starbucks Workers United has had its name since 2021 and Starbucks is only objecting now; the union can use a defense called “laches” to argue that the company has waited too long to take legal action.

Saadia Pekkanen specializes in space law. The University of Washington professor doesn’t believe Starlink should shoulder all the blame. "It is fair to say Starlink gets a lot of attention, partly because of the lion’s share that it actually holds," said Pekkanen. "Starlink is one of many other companies and the problem is not just about one company."

Clark Lombardi, director of Islamic Legal Studies at the University of Â鶹ÉçÇø of Law, points out that Arabic words are formed out of roots composed of three letters and that “to understand the nuances tucked into the meaning of a word, you need to look not only at the way that one word was used in the Quran, but also at the way in which all its related words are used,” he wrote in an email. The word “jihad” originates from the root j-h-d, with words like “ijtihad” and “mujahid” sharing the same origins.

The growing number of migrants looking for asylum in Tukwila has prompted the city to declare a state of emergency. While local and state governments work to address the influx of asylum-seekers, the people here are no stranger to waiting it out — but they’re excited to move on to the next stage of their lives. Georgina Olazcon Mozo, director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the Â鶹ÉçÇø, is quoted.

“What we see is the emergence of two competing designs for getting to the moon and staying there,” said Saadia Pekkanen, founding director of the Space Law, Data and Policy Program at the University of Washington.

Wildermuth, who also helps recommend changes to the state’s endangered species program, said the Endangered Species Act is a commitment, requiring humans to value life outside themselves. “It’s an expensive task,” he said about wildlife conservation.

Local authors in WA state are unhappy because their works are being used to program artificial intelligence without their permission. Alex Alben, affiliate instructor of law at the Â鶹ÉçÇø, is interviewed.

“Many judges would not be happy that a deposition was taken at which both sides were not present,” said Jeff Feldman, a University of Â鶹ÉçÇø of Law professor who teaches civil procedure. “It appears that this all could have been avoided.”

Companies like Meta and Bloomberg draw upon a database of 191,000 books to train the tools. Local writers aren’t happy, and lawsuits are in the works. Alex Alben, affiliate instructor of law at the Â鶹ÉçÇø, is quoted.