Science and Technology Policy Commons^™

The Expanding Digital Border: Ai, Surveillance, And The Fight For Justice, James Chesser

Immigration and Human Rights Law Review

As artificial intelligence transforms the mechanisms of immigration control, the modern border has become a digital filter—one governed less by geography and more by code. This Article examines the legal, technical, and ethical implications of AI-driven systems now central to global border enforcement, including biometric surveillance, algorithmic risk scoring, and predictive profiling. It explores how states use these technologies not only to manage irregular migration, but to compete for global talent—constructing migration regimes that reward capital and compliance while eroding transparency, due process, and equality.

Through an international and comparative lens, the piece highlights the expansion of algorithmic decision-making across …

The Last Human Question: Generative Ai's Existential Threat To Consensus And Law, Joshua Fairfield

West Virginia Law Review

The true risk of artificial intelligence (“AI”) is not that the toasters will rise up. It is that AI will be competent to perform human tasks and indifferent to human welfare. The risk is that we will be outcompeted by generative automated processes that create output similar to ours (although never the same, as this Article explains), but which need none of the outputs of the economy for food, shelter, or human flourishing. Further, a more precise and existential description of the threat is that generative AI will disrupt and crowd out humanity’s evolutionary superpower, our ability to generate agreement …

Ai And Law Milestones: From Top-Down To Bottom-Up Computational Models Of Legal Reasoning (And Back), Kevin Ashley

West Virginia Law Review

This Article introduces five research and development milestones in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Law and then discusses how large language models (“LLMs”) and generative AI (“GenAI”) are affecting each of them. The milestones include legal expert systems, lessons learned in computationally modeling legal rules and statutes, knowledge-based models of legal argument, machine learning models that classify case texts and predict outcomes, and the design and evaluation of legal applications of LLMs and GenAI. These milestones illustrate how top-down knowledge-based computational models of legal expertise have rapidly given way to bottom-up models based on machine learning. Knowledge-based models explicitly …

A View Under The Hood: Duquesne Kline's Law And Computing Program, Wesley M. Oliver, Katherine L.W. Norton, Martin Mckown, David Horrigan

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Training New Lawyers With And For Generative Ai: A Semester-Long Experiment Scaling Clinical Friction In The Doctrinal Classroom, Frank W. Volk

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence And The Future Of Global Inequality, Valentina Caceres

Posters - 2026

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a central tool in the global system, shaping economic growth, political power, and international influence. While AI is often celebrated for innovation and progress in different sectors like education, healthcare, security and more, its development is uneven and mostly concentrated in wealthy countries. Because AI is increasingly embedded in economic production, public administration, and social services, access to AI capabilities has become a key determinant of global competitiveness and influence. Many developing nations lack the capital, infrastructure, and technological capacity needed to compete in the global economy driven by AI. This imbalance matters because …

Augmented Advocacy: Ethical Constraints And Regulatory Gaps In Ai-Driven Legal Practice, Molly M. Rowlands

West Virginia Law Review

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and particularly generative AI (“Gen AI”) is reshaping the legal profession in unprecedented ways. AI-powered tools enhance efficiency, improve accuracy in legal analysis, and expand access to justice by automating research, contract review, litigation support, and predictive analytics. However, these benefits come with significant ethical, regulatory, and procedural challenges, including competency concerns and AI “hallucinations,” data confidentiality risks, algorithmic bias, and the environmental impact of AI-driven computing. This Note critically examines the evolving role of AI in legal practice and evaluates the inadequacies of existing regulatory frameworks—such as Rule 11 of the Federal …

Research Progress On Economic Impact Of Animal Diseases, Zhen Xu, Haizhao Zhang, Zizhong Shi, Hui Zhou, Xiangdong Hu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Animal diseases not only pose significant challenges to the stable development of related industries such as livestock farming but also adversely affect the broader economic and social landscape. This paper presents the reviews on the current state of research both domestically and internationally, systematically presenting the advancements of the economic impacts of animal diseases. The findings reveal that, (1) the economic impacts of animal diseases can be categorized into direct and indirect effects; however, a unified analytical framework has yet to be established. The “Epidemiology-Economics” approach is the primary analytical method for assessing the economic impacts of animal diseases. (2) …

Understanding Key Lssues In Current Artificial Intelligence Development And Governance, Meng Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

At present, as global artificial intelligence advances vigorously, the industry is engaged in intense discussions about the future direction of its development and governance, where certain consensus has been reached alongside notable divergences and controversies. This study focuses on several key contentious issues in the current development and governance of artificial intelligence, analyzes their inherent logic by combining the laws of scientific and technological progress, and puts forward corresponding solutions. Regarding the potential bubble risk, it emphasizes the need to strengthen the application of artificial intelligence in the real economy to channel and guide its development momentum. For the future …

From Data To Intelligence: A Review Of Recent Technological And Theoretical Advances In Computational Communication Science, Mengxiao Zhu, Zongting Ge, Jiaojiao Ji

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Against the backdrop of a platform society and the rise of multimodal content, communication processes are increasingly mediated by algorithms, while digital traces continue to expand in scale and granularity. Building on the 2009 and 2020 “computational social science” initiatives as an intellectual lineage, open science and testable evidence have gradually become field-wide norms. Building on prior work, this study traces a “actors–content–platforms/algorithms–audience–effects” pathway to clarify what computational communication studies and what its central questions are, and to review how artificial intelligence is used across the 5W elements of the pathway. We further review international institutionalization driven by scholarly societies …

Conduction Paths And Policy Design Of New Quality Productivity Empowering Urban-Rural Integrated Development, Lulu Yang, Yi Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasized that during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, resolving the issues relating to agriculture, rural areas, and rural people must remain a top priority for the entire party, and efforts should be made to promote integrated urban-rural development. As an inevitable path to addressing the relative lag in agricultural and rural modernization, urban-rural integration has entered a new phase, transitioning from establishing institutional mechanisms to developing integrated factor allocation. This phase urgently requires new theoretical guidance and breakthroughs in dynamic models. This study constructs an …

Comparative Study On Ai Talent Cultivation In China And The United States: Strategies And Recommendations, Lexuan Li, Ke Wen, Wenjie Liu, Wei Shen, Zhenguo Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Artificial intelligence (AI), as the core driving force of the new industrial revolution, has become a strategic pillar for enhancing national competitiveness, with the cultivation of AI talent being a decisive factor. This study systematically compares the AI talent cultivation systems of China and the United States from three perspectives: strategic planning, formal education, and practical domains. The findings reveal that the U.S. has continuously and systematically advanced AI talent cultivation plans at the national level, granted institutions substantial autonomy in talent cultivation with deep integration of industry-academia-research collaboration, and established a well-developed AI innovation and entrepreneurship environment. Accordingly, the …

Transformation Of Open-Source Innovation Governance Of Large Models, Zhe Wang, Jinsong Cai

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), represented by large-scale models, is a transformative driver of new-quality productive forces, making the effective construction and governance of open-source innovation commons increasingly critical. Yet traditional open-source models are under strain, and existing commons theories require further development. Model training costs rise exponentially with each iteration, while a sustainable profit cycle from innovation to industrial application has not been established, rendering long-term cost-bearing infeasible for individual organizations. The traditional community-enterprise collaboration model, once successful in generating ecosystem value, now faces escalating computing and data costs, uncertain commercial returns, and governance risks related to social and national …

Study Of Full-Process Funding Mechanisms Of National Research Institutes, Baicun Li, Ruhan A, Xiaoxuan Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Funding mechanism is a crucial institutional guarantee for national research institutes to achieve their goals and fulfill their roles. Against the backdrop of new global challenges, such as geopolitical shifts, these institutions shoulder even greater responsibilities. Therefore, to better leverage their roles, this study addresses two key issues. What funding challenges do national research institutes currently face? And what are the characteristics of a funding mechanism that can meet their needs? To answer these questions, firstly, this study systematically analyzes the prominent problems faced by the funding mechanisms of national research institutes in China. Subsequently, it analyzes the characteristics of …

Science And Technology Communication And Construction Of China’S International Discourse System: Strategic Significance, Current Challenges, And Innovative Pathways, Haonan Du, Ting Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Against the backdrop of a new round of scientific and technological revolution with the ongoing restructuring of the global governance system, science and technology have become central to competition in national comprehensive competitiveness and struggles for international discourse power. China’s science and technology have achieved a historic leap from “catching up” to “running alongside” and even “leading in certain areas”, providing solid strength support for the construction of an international discourse system. However, the transformation of scientific and technological advantages into discourse advantages remains insufficient, and the international community holds a dual perception of China’s technological advancements—recognition alongside concerns. The …

Theoretical Construction And Practical Transformation Of “New Science Popularization” In Process Of Chinese Modernization, Ting Wang, Haonan Du, Tian Zhu, Shihui Yang, Rongting Zhou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Rooted in the historical context of China’s national strategy-driven science popularization (SP), this study analyzes the local practical integration of “science popularization” and “science and technology communication”. It proposes a theoretical framework for “new science popularization” suitable for a strong state-strong society collaborative governance environment, based on the fundamental hypotheses of “innovation-driven development”, “systemic coupling”, and “nodal creation”. The core argument introduces the “One Body, Two Wings; Three Layers, Three Stages” dynamic system model. This model elucidates how SP, under the unity of national strategy and human development, achieves a spiral evolution—from knowledge interconnection and literacy co-shaping to ecosystem co-creation—through …

Innovation-Oriented Science Popularization (Iosp): A New Paradigm For Frontier Science Communication And Innovation Capacity Building, Yong Ge, Yifei Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Under China’s strategy of becoming a science and technology powerhouse, traditional transmission-oriented science popularization inadequately addresses youth demands for frontier technology practice, constraining source innovation in talent cultivation. Informed by international approaches such as learning by doing and responsible research and innovation (RRI), together with domestic Chinese practices, this study formulates innovation-oriented science popularization (IOSP) as a new paradigm focusing on frontier technologies, deep experiential learning, and innovation capacity building. IOSP establishes a systematic implementation pathway through four integrated dimensions: layered content design, virtual-real fusion, industry-academia-research-user linkage, and multi-scenario coverage. Taking the Shanghai Youth Science Innovation Practice Workstation as a …

Combatting Desertification Scientifically: Where Feasible, Where Necessary, Bojie Fu, Yanxu Liu, Shuai Wang, Yijia Wang, Guipeng Cui, Yue Guo

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China has made remarkable achievements in combating desertification, achieving “zero net growth” in land degradation. With the goal of scientifically improving the relationship between humans and nature in drylands, the continuous exploration of new concepts, methods, and pathways for scientific desertification control will contribute to advancing the harmony between humans and nature in China’s drylands. Based on the definitions of desertification, ecological restoration baselines, and the contributions of nature to humans, we clarified the scientific implications of “controlling desertification where it is feasible and necessary”. We discussed the shift in China’s desertification prevention and control direction from “humans advancing while …

The International Decade Of Sciences For Sustainable Development: Global Progress And China’S Actions, Lin Wang, Shaofeng Hu, Fan Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD, 2024–2033) was officially launched by the United Nations in 2024, with the aim of strengthening and demonstrating the central role of science in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This study systematically reviews the development of IDSSD, its governance structure, mechanisms for project solicitation and endorsement, as well as the thematic and regional distribution of endorsed initiatives. On this basis, it assesses China’s current participation and potential opportunities. During the first call for initiatives, IDSSD received 221 proposals from 52 countries, with 109 …

Construction Of Emerging Contaminants Risk Governance System, Cheng Li, Mingcheng Wang, Chunlei Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Emerging contaminants pose considerable risks to the ecological environment, human health, and social safety. The establishment of an emerging contaminants risk governance system constitutes a crucial component of the national ecological security strategy and the ecological civilization framework in the new era. When examined through the lens of the holistic view of national security and guided by the ecological civilization philosophy of the new era, China’s current efforts in managing emerging contaminants reveal several shortcomings—including a fragmented and incomplete risk management system, as well as preliminary stages in chemical environmental management policies and related technologies. Therefore, grounded in national conditions …