The workshop is organised by Centre for Data Futures in conjunction with the King's Information and Intellectual Property Hub. The event is by invitation only. 

Workshop Overview

The rapid proliferation of generative AI has exposed fundamental tensions within existing data governance frameworks. While technical capabilities advance at unprecedented speed, questions emerge about whether current legal and social infrastructure can sustain the data ecosystems upon which these technologies depend. This workshop brings together interdisciplinary perspectives to examine the complex dynamics between intellectual property law, data empowerment mechanisms, and broader conditions for sustainable innovation.

Current debates around data mining exceptions, fair use doctrine, and platform accountability reveal critical uncertainties. How do we understand the relationship between narrow legal remedies and the systemic challenges facing our data-dependent digital landscape? What analytical frameworks might transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries to address the fragility of creative commons movements, the precarious position of individual content creators, and the concentration of data resources within corporate structures?

Focus and Research Questions

With particular attention to the UK policy landscape—where government consideration of extended data mining exceptions presents both opportunities and risks for education and arts sectors—we will explore several key questions:

• What complementary mechanisms beyond legal reform might support sustainable data ecosystems?
• How do technical, legal, and social interventions intersect in rapidly evolving technological contexts?
• How can we conceptualize the sustainability of open-source and creative commons models?

Structure and Outputs

Professor Séverine Dusollier (Sciences Po) will open the workshop with keynote reflections on contemporary challenges in copyright law and digital governance. Prior to the event, participants will receive a working paper and skeleton position statement designed to focus discussion around concrete policy questions while remaining open to diverse theoretical and methodological approaches.

Participants who wish to contribute will have the opportunity to co-author an impact-driven position paper emerging from our collective deliberations, synthesizing insights for meaningful policy engagement across computer science, law, digital humanities, and policy studies.