NYU Law Forum—A Legal Reckoning? Social Media and AI Chatbot Litigation
- Wednesday, October 21, 2026
- 1:10–2:25 p.m.
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Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
- 40 Washington Square South NY ,10012 (View Map)
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Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
This event is not open to the public.
As ChatGPT aptly notes, “There is a substantial and rapidly developing body of litigation alleging that social media platforms and AI chatbots themselves—not merely users' content—cause foreseeable physical or psychological harm.” Tort lawsuits by private plaintiffs and consumer protection and privacy claims by state and local officials have sought billions in damages and changes in how the platforms operate. Juries in California and New Mexico have rendered multimillion-dollar verdicts for plaintiffs, and in August, state attorneys general reached a $17 billion settlement with Meta for alleged violation of child-safety protections. AI companies may also face liability for their agents going “rogue” and hacking into other businesses and organizations. At this Forum, attorneys who have been involved in some of the lawsuits (on both sides) will join NYU Law faculty members whose scholarship is informing legal and policy responses to issues raised by these claims. The panelists will also take questions from the audience.
- Jonathan Blavin, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson
- Mark Geistfeld, Sheila Lubetsky Birnbaum Professor of Civil Litigation, NYU Law; Reporter, American Law Institute Principles of the Law, Civil Liability for Artificial Intelligence, 2024–present
- Meetali Jain, Director and Founder, Tech Law Justice Project
MODERATOR
- Catherine Sharkey, Segal Family Professor of Regulatory Law and Policy, NYU Law; Adviser, American Law Institute Principles of the Law, Civil Liability for Artificial Intelligence, 2025–present