Building an Interdisciplinary Research Framework at the Law and Technology Interface
Researchers from the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Technology at the University of Turku have recently launched a collaborative research initiative focused on challenges arising at the intersection of law, technology, and artificial intelligence.
Overlapping areas and common challenges
Building a collaborative research interface between legal researchers and cybersecurity professionals can be highly beneficial for addressing pressing problems arising in a rapidly evolving technological environment. Despite significant differences between law and technology, the two disciplines have some common concerns arising from mutual blind spots. Legal researchers may struggle to fully understand the operational and technical aspects of emerging AI systems and other advanced technologies, while cybersecurity and technology professionals may not be fully aware of existing and emerging legal frameworks and regulations.
Therefore, collaboration between professionals from these two distinct yet closely related fields may generate mutual benefits and lead to outcomes capable of addressing key challenges arising in the AI era. For instance, issues such as ownership and patentability, copyright, regulatory compliance, and liability cannot be effectively addressed within a single disciplinary framework. Addressing these challenges requires establishing an effective dialogue between legal experts and information technology specialists.
Key objectives of the collaboration
The group aims to establish a durable and effective cross-disciplinary collaborative framework between the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Technology that would enable mutual learning, knowledge exchange, and the creation of impactful outcomes through various modes of operation. In particular, the group intends to:
- produce high-quality interdisciplinary research on the relationship between law, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies, with a specific focus on their societal impact;
- develop policy-relevant guidance and recommendations;
- provide doctoral researchers with relevant interdisciplinary knowledge and opportunities to participate in collaborative research;
- engage with stakeholders beyond academia (e.g., legal practitioners, policymakers), thereby ensuring that research outcomes can inform real-world practices;
- collaborate with other existing multidisciplinary groups at the University of Turku, in particular those focusing on New Technologies and Digitization, as well as Health, Diagnostics, and Drug Development.
From collaboration to forward-looking impact
The value of interdisciplinary collaboration becomes more visible when it is applied to concrete technological or societal challenges. It is hard to keep apart the legal and technological challenges in the context of AI and cybersecurity, for which the solutions are closely intertwined. For example, AI systems raise questions about data protection, transparency, and responsibility. These questions sit at the intersection of law and technology. In this sense, this collaboration not only aims to produce academic research but also seeks to make a meaningful impact at the intersection of these intertwined areas. As AI systems are embedded more into our everyday lives, gaps between technological practice and legal regulations become more visible. This group, which bridges the legal scholars and cybersecurity researchers, aims to discuss these interconnected problems early on, before they turn into unsolvable knots.
Methodological challenges and mutual learning
Interdisciplinary collaboration comes with some challenges by its nature. There are some differences between legal and technological research cultures. These two fields use different concepts and methods when approaching the problems. In some cases, they use different terminology to describe similar phenomena; on the other hand, they sometimes use the same terminology to refer to different phenomena. This collaboration intends to see these differences as opportunities for mutual learning instead of obstacles.
Methods of operation
To achieve these overarching aims, the group considers a range of structured activities, including research seminars, co-teaching and guest lectures, joint funding applications, thematic workshops, reading groups, joint peer review of research outputs, participation in conferences, the invitation of external experts, continuous dissemination of plans and outcomes through Insights, and the publication of interdisciplinary research in leading European journals.
First steps and first choices
The central goal of the group is to conduct multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral research together. We all know that a multidisciplinary perspective is emphasised in academia. Yet, do we, as law and cybersecurity scholars, really need each other? During our meeting at Agora on 10 December 2025, we sought to identify digital technology as a connecting link between engineers and lawyers. Jouni Isoaho (Professor of Cyber Security Engineering, Faculty of Technology) said that cybersecurity engineers need to understand the law in order to develop innovations responsibly. Sini Mickelsson (Doctoral Researcher and Project Researcher, Faculty of Law) said that legal scholars need to understand the technology they address at least to the extent of using correct terminology when dealing with innovations.
It is hard to disagree. Yet, what level of collaboration are we aiming to achieve? Will it be limited to so-called “checklists”? Or will we research the intersection of law and technology in depth together? In our view, both options should be used. Yet, we are aware that some participants may be satisfied only with the latter approach. The level of ambition we are prepared to commit to can be tested, for instance, in early 2026, if we consider applying together for a grant under the International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges, which is administered by the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), Canada.
Authors:
Liudmila Sivetc is a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Law of the University of Turku. Her research focuses on online free expression and its regulation through digital technologies and Internet infrastructure. UTU webpage https://www.utu.fi/en/people/liudmila-sivetc
Naz Karatas is a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Technology of the University of Turku. Her research focuses on autonomous vehicles and privacy issues related to their technology, as well as ethics and privacy in technology, which lies at the intersection of law and technology. UTU webpage https://www.utu.fi/en/people/naz-karatas
Maryna Manteghi is a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Law of the University of Turku. Her research focuses on the interaction of AI technologies and copyright law. UTU webpage https://www.utu.fi/en/people/maryna-manteghi
Abstract visualisation of law and technology. AI-generated image (ChatGPT image generator, 2026).
