Computational law · Legal informatics · Law and AI

Christof Koolen

Visiting Professor and FWO Postdoctoral Researcher

The Centre for IT & IP Law, KU Leuven (Belgium)

I study how artificial intelligence can improve access to legal information while ensuring that AI systems remain transparent, reliable and accountable. My work brings together computational legal research, legal information retrieval and the evaluation of AI systems in a legal setting.

I am always keen to collaborate with researchers from law, computer science and social sciences. If you think our interests overlap, feel free to get in touch!

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Teaching

2024-2026

Introduction to AI Technologies

Visiting Professor · KU Leuven

In this course, I introduce law students to the technical foundations of modern artificial intelligence. Instead of treating AI as a black box, students develop an understanding of how AI systems are built and trained, from the fundamentals of machine learning and neural networks to large language models and contemporary AI applications such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). My goal is to give students the technical knowledge needed to critically engage with the governance and regulation of AI.

2024-2025

Recht en Artificiële Intelligentie

Substitute Lecturer · KU Leuven

For “Recht en Artificiële Intelligentie”, I taught how AI affects the law and how legal rules influence the use of AI systems. A major part of the course covered the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), especially its risk-based approach, the regulation of general-purpose AI, systemic risk, and open-source AI. We also considered how AI interacts with specific areas of law, such as liability law, data protection law, and copyright law.

2024-2025

AI and Society: Core Concepts

Substitute Lecturer · KU Leuven

AI & Society: Core Concepts is an interdisciplinary course in KU Leuven’s Master of Artificial Intelligence in Business and Industry that consists of three parts: the ethical, legal, and cognitive dimensions of artificial intelligence. As part of the course, I taught the lectures on the regulation of AI in Europe. Important topics covered were the EU AI Act, data protection, liability for AI systems, fundamental rights, AI governance, and, more broadly, policy questions regarding the development and deployment of AI.

2024-2025

European Economic Law

Substitute Lecturer · KU Leuven

European Economic Law takes a closer look at three core domains: EU internal market law, EU competition law, and EU consumer law. I guided students through the main sources of EU law, such as the Treaties, secondary legislation and key CJEU judgments, and explained how EU law regulates the conduct of Member States. Also considered were key competition law topics (e.g., cartels, abuse of dominance, merger control, and enforcement) and consumer law topics (e.g., unfair commercial practices, unfair contract terms, distance contracts, and product conformity rules).