It is undeniable that artificial intelligence (AI) has taken control of many aspects of our society, from transportation and medicine to agriculture and finance. However, it may surprise many how AI has gradually taken a much more intimate role in our lives, to perform as a babysitter, a nurse, or even a prostitute. As we increasingly rely on these tools as companions, the fine line between AI and personhood begins to fade. While AI’s contribution is significant, much of its capacity is untapped and it challenges policy-makers on how to harness the opportunities, while vigorously confronting issues such as ethical dilemmas and missteps that could exacerbate social problems in Asia, the United States, and around the world. This symposium aimed to shed light on how AI has redefined our notion of relationship and intimacy, and correspondingly, to explore the flexible law-making approaches mandated by the far-reaching nature of AI applications, with a special focus on Asia.

The 2016 Brexit vote, the election of the U.S. president shortly thereafter, and a notable shift in the political landscape in Brazil are prime examples of the rise of populist and anti-globalist sentiment throughout the world. In contrast to countries succumbing to nationalist impulses, China has seemingly embraced a globalist approach through its Belt and Road Initiative, also known as BRI. This trillion-dollar development strategy is ambitious and targets economic growth in many countries across Eurasia, the South Pacific, West Africa, and even Latin America. Reinforcing China’s outward-facing rhetoric on trade, economics, and cultural exchanges, BRI is a step towards forging strategic partnerships and new alliances. This symposium considered whether BRI may be positioning China at the helm of reshaping the security and economic architecture of the international order.

The first panel discussed the overarching impact of the BRI on the shift in global power and its resulting trajectory. The second panel highlighted the legal implications of BRI amidst complex interactions with citizens, systems, and social values by discussing the impact of BRI on national and international legal frameworks. The symposium concluded with an address by keynote speaker, Dr. Adil Najam, Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, who shared his thoughts on the implications of populist and anti-globalist movements and the role of the BRI in the international world order.

Asian Law Review’s symposium discussed the past and future of intellectual property law in Asia with four renowned experts. The panelists included Peter K. Yu, Director of the Center for Law and Intellectual Property, Texas A&M University School of Law; Irene Calboli, Deputy Director of the Applied Research Centre for Intellectual Assets and the Law in Asia, Singapore Management University School of Law; Srividhya Ragavan, Professor of Law, Texas A&M University School of Law; Takakuni Yamane, visiting researcher, University of California, Berkeley.

Illegal trafficking of wildlife is a major issue in Asia as flora and fauna in Africa and Asia are under threat. Tens of thousands of African elephants are killed every year because of a burgeoning ivory trade in Asia, and precious timbers have been disappearing from Asian forests.

How can we stop flora and fauna in Africa and Asia from being illegally smuggled into Asia, Europe, and the United States? How do federal agencies and local and international actors enforce wildlife laws to combat this global scale crime? Are the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Endangered Species Act, the Lacey Act, and laws prohibiting smuggling effective tools to control the market?

The 2017 Symposium brought together experienced practitioners and scholars to discuss and present the practical and legal challenges in combating international wildlife trafficking.

What channels are available for enforcing intellectual property (IP) rights in Asia? Is the International Trade Commission (ITC) an effective forum for domestic and foreign IP litigants? How do foreign companies manage IP risks while doing business with Chinese companies? This symposium brought together experienced attorneys and scholars to discuss intellectual property issues in Asia from a practical and comparative perspective. The speakers addressed various IP practices by and against Asian companies with a particular focus on China.

Criminal law and procedure reform is a highly sensitive issue as it implicates judicial justice and protection of human rights. China revised its Criminal Procedure Law in 2012 and it was viewed a significant step forward. However, the precise consequences remain to be seen.

The 2014 symposium brought together scholars, practitioners, and advocates to discuss implications of the new Criminal Procedure Law and other related issues in a comparative perspective. In addition, we attempted to examine the history and evolution of criminal procedure laws in other East Asian countries as well as in the U.S. in order to shed light on the future of China’s criminal procedure reform.

The traditional model of anti-corruption enforcement, based on domestic regulations and enforced by a nation’s judiciary or other special agencies, faces numerous challenges in the Asian context. Where the independence of the judiciary and even-handed application of the laws is in doubt — especially in new democracies or autocracies — reliance on law and governance methods alone has been thought insufficient. The increasingly global economy and necessity for transnational cooperation further complicate this picture, and also imply that these local matters have become questions of global significance. The internet and social media, as well as more traditional media, may play a greater role in shedding light on abuse and acting as a check on power. This symposium explored how these non-state actors, specifically corporates, media, and other societal institutions, deal with government corruption and their own corruption in East and Southeast Asia.