AI, Big Tech and Your Data: Business Innovation and Regulation

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Every scroll, click, and interaction with an AI system or digital platform generates data of enormous economic value—while raising complex legal and policy questions about who controls it. This course examines consumer data, artificial intelligence, and platform governance at the intersection of law, public policy, and business strategy. Students will analyze how technology platforms and AI-driven firms such as Meta, Google, and OpenAI operate within—and actively attempt to shape—an increasingly fragmented regulatory environment. The course compares the European Union’s comprehensive regulatory framework, including GDPR and the AI Act, with the United States’ patchwork of state privacy laws, sector-specific regulation, and industry self-governance. Through case studies, analysis of corporate privacy policies, and applied policy exercises, students will evaluate how legal and regulatory requirements translate into platform design choices and strategic business decisions. The course confronts foundational questions driving the digital economy: Can regulation keep pace with rapid AI innovation and platform scale? When does compliance become a source of competitive advantage—or risk—for platform-based businesses? Do consumers have meaningful control over their data, and who should ultimately set the rules governing digital platforms? This course provides essential tools for all students interested in navigating or shaping the future of digital governance in an AI world, including those interested in technology, business, law, public policy, or entrepreneurship.