Who's Liable When AI Goes Wrong? Navigating the legal maze
The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence has created new challenges for legal systems, creating uncertainty for businesses about the liability implications when AI technologies cause unintended consequences. This panel discussion addresses this pressing concern by examining novel research that offers solutions for navigating complex AI liability questions.
The panel will examine pressing questions facing businesses: How should private law liability be assigned in contexts where modern forms of AI are deployed? What is AI legally? Property, an agent, or a person?
Panellists will explore recent research proposing flexible, situational approaches to AI liability — including comprehensive models detailed in newly-published 2025 scholarship that introduce a new tri-phase framework examining AI type, deployment context, and control dynamics. This original work suggests moving beyond fixed legal approaches toward adaptive solutions that balance innovation with accountability.
Attendees will gain exposure to forward-looking theoretical research while exploring its practical implications for businesses, legal professionals, and policymakers navigating AI governance challenges. This essential discussion represents a unique opportunity to engage with innovative academic scholarship addressing one of the most pressing legal challenges of the AI age.
Keynote speaker
Dr Estelle Wallingford, Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School 
Dr Wallingford is a lecturer and legal academic. Her research examines the legal implications arising from deployment of emerging technologies, with a particular interest in AI and related technologies. Dr Wallingford’s first book, Liabilities and Modern Artificial Intelligence: A Tri-Phase Model (Routledge), offers an innovative and original model for assigning private law liability in an AI context. It also considers how this framework could complement regulatory approaches to AI governance.
Professor Chris Marsden, Faculty of Law, Monash University
Prof Marsden is professor of Artificial Intelligence, Technology and the Law, and Director of Monash’s Digital Law Group. He serves on the ARC College of Experts 2024-26. He was appointed a Fellow of Columbia CITI from November 2024, and has been a research associate at GLOCOM (Tokyo) since 2008. Prof Marsden has also been a research affiliate of the PILOT Lab at Penn State University since 2020. He serves as an expert in the International Expert Consortium on the Regulation, Economics, and Computer Science of AI (RECSAI) 2024-5. He also served as Associate Director, Global Governance, 2023-4 at the Monash Data Futures Institute (MDFI).
Associate Professor Janice Richardson, Faculty of Law, Monash University
A/Prof Richardson has published four books, mainly on feminist philosophy. The latest is Law, Selfhood and Feminist Philosophy: Monstrous Aberrations (Abingdon UK, Routledge, 2024). Her journal articles include those in Feminist Legal Studies, Law and Critique, Ratio Juris, Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities, Minds and Machines: Journal for Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Textual Practice, and Parrhesia: A Journal of Critical Philosophy.
Moderator
Professor John Bevacqua, Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School
Prof Bevacqua is an active researcher in tax administration and taxpayer rights, and is published regularly in leading Australian and international tax journals. Prof Bevacqua is also a qualified lawyer admitted to practice in multiple jurisdictions, and prior to becoming a full-time academic had a ten-year career as a commercial and tax lawyer, working at top tier commercial law firms.
Organiser
Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School
Event Details
- Date:
- 17 November 2025 at 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Venue:
- Sky Room, Level 14, 30 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia or Online via Zoom
- Categories:
- General
Description
The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence has created new challenges for legal systems, creating uncertainty for businesses about the liability implications when AI technologies cause unintended consequences. This panel discussion addresses this pressing concern by examining novel research that offers solutions for navigating complex AI liability questions.
The panel will examine pressing questions facing businesses: How should private law liability be assigned in contexts where modern forms of AI are deployed? What is AI legally? Property, an agent, or a person?
Panellists will explore recent research proposing flexible, situational approaches to AI liability — including comprehensive models detailed in newly-published 2025 scholarship that introduce a new tri-phase framework examining AI type, deployment context, and control dynamics. This original work suggests moving beyond fixed legal approaches toward adaptive solutions that balance innovation with accountability.
Attendees will gain exposure to forward-looking theoretical research while exploring its practical implications for businesses, legal professionals, and policymakers navigating AI governance challenges. This essential discussion represents a unique opportunity to engage with innovative academic scholarship addressing one of the most pressing legal challenges of the AI age.
Keynote speaker
Dr Estelle Wallingford, Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School
Dr Wallingford is a lecturer and legal academic. Her research examines the legal implications arising from deployment of emerging technologies, with a particular interest in AI and related technologies. Dr Wallingford’s first book, Liabilities and Modern Artificial Intelligence: A Tri-Phase Model (Routledge), offers an innovative and original model for assigning private law liability in an AI context. It also considers how this framework could complement regulatory approaches to AI governance.
Professor Chris Marsden, Faculty of Law, Monash University
Prof Marsden is professor of Artificial Intelligence, Technology and the Law, and Director of Monash’s Digital Law Group. He serves on the ARC College of Experts 2024-26. He was appointed a Fellow of Columbia CITI from November 2024, and has been a research associate at GLOCOM (Tokyo) since 2008. Prof Marsden has also been a research affiliate of the PILOT Lab at Penn State University since 2020. He serves as an expert in the International Expert Consortium on the Regulation, Economics, and Computer Science of AI (RECSAI) 2024-5. He also served as Associate Director, Global Governance, 2023-4 at the Monash Data Futures Institute (MDFI).
Associate Professor Janice Richardson, Faculty of Law, Monash University
A/Prof Richardson has published four books, mainly on feminist philosophy. The latest is Law, Selfhood and Feminist Philosophy: Monstrous Aberrations (Abingdon UK, Routledge, 2024). Her journal articles include those in Feminist Legal Studies, Law and Critique, Ratio Juris, Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities, Minds and Machines: Journal for Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Textual Practice, and Parrhesia: A Journal of Critical Philosophy.
Moderator
Professor John Bevacqua, Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School
Prof Bevacqua is an active researcher in tax administration and taxpayer rights, and is published regularly in leading Australian and international tax journals. Prof Bevacqua is also a qualified lawyer admitted to practice in multiple jurisdictions, and prior to becoming a full-time academic had a ten-year career as a commercial and tax lawyer, working at top tier commercial law firms.
Organiser
Department of Business Law and Taxation, Monash Business School