Technology and (Dis)Trust
AI between confidence and controversy
As technology shifts the focus from retrospective justice to preemptive control, from deliberation to optimization, and from state power to private influence, trust becomes an ever more contested terrain—at once constructed, eroded and renegotiated across multiple domains of law.
This year, the fourth edition of the IE Lawtomation Days seeks to explore the effectiveness and limits of regulation through the lens of trust. How can legal frameworks sustain trustworthiness in AI-driven decision-making and digital governance? How can law inform automation and ensure faith in the institutions and mechanisms it establishes? Is law the most appropriate tool to build trust, or should other mechanisms, such as ethics, corporate responsibility and technical safeguards, play a more significant role in fostering confidence in digital ecosystems?
Building on the interdisciplinary nature of our “Lawtomation” Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, we encourage submissions from all the branches of law (for instance, consumer, criminal, labour, public, private, international, environmental and competition law), as well as from other fields, including political science, sociology, philosophy and ethics. We aim to bridge the gap between theoretical reflections and the practical assessment of how legal initiatives shape and sustain trustworthy digital arenas. By fostering multidisciplinary exchanges, we aspire to challenge dominant narratives and provide a deeper understanding of trust in the digital era.
The conference will be held fully in-person on Thursday, 2 and Friday, 3 October 2025. Thematic sessions will adopt a cross-disciplinary approach to stimulate reflection and comparison, and presentations will be organized into chaired panels. There are no registration fees; the costs of meals and coffee breaks will be covered by the organizers.
The two-day conference will feature inspiring keynote speeches, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and cross-generational and cross-disciplinary exchange, including chilling social events. Over the years, the IE Lawtomation Days have become a flagship initiative in the international community, known for their high-quality contributions, friendly atmosphere, collegial environment and the richness of intellectual exchanges. Participants in the previous editions have recognized this conference as a not-to-miss opportunity that fosters meaningful connections.
Convenors: Francisco de Elizalde, Antonio Aloisi, Marina Aksenova, Giulio Allevato, Federica Coppola, François Delerue, Yuliya Kaspiarovich, Antonios Kouroutakis, Guadalupe Martínez, Francesca Palmiotto, Fernando Pastor, Lazar Radic, Sergio Verdugo, Bart Wauters
If you have any questions, please contact us at Luke.Jenkins@ie.edu and Isabel.Garces@ie.edu