Digital reality does not respect legal boundaries. AI generates 'deep fake' evidence and social media influences public debate. The rule of law is therefore confronted with fundamental questions: How do we protect legal equality in an age of algorithms? And how can we, as lawyers, provide direction in this changing landscape? During the third Opening of the Legal Year, het Openbaar Ministerie, Rechtbank Rotterdam, de Rotterdamse balie and Erasmus School of Law came together to address these challenges together.
On Thursday 18 September 2025, the Debatepodium Arminius in Rotterdam set the stage for a debate on the impact of AI and social media on the law, and on the resilience of our rule of law.
From secretly downloading music to a digital reality
Cabaret performer Tim Hartog opened the programme with a thought-provoking look back on the early years of the internet. What once started with secretly downloading music has now become a fully digital reality: a world full of opportunities, but also full of risks. He pointed to the power of online profiles and the need to remain critical. The internet is a stage – but who directs the performance?
Does it begin with legal education?
In other words keeping a grip on our digital reality. “That is quite a challenge – if we ever really had a grip on it in the first place,” said Harriët Schelhaas, Dean of Erasmus School of Law. She highlighted the tension between digital development and legal responsibility. “It is important that students know how to use AI, and it is essential that they learn how to do so responsibly. Legal knowledge is indispensable here: what is the law, how is it used, and what does it mean to be a lawyer? We are working hard on innovating education and educating future-proof lawyers. We take this role in our rule of law extremely seriously.”
The (dis)information highway: who is responsible?
“Digitalisation is everywhere, and while that offers tremendous opportunities, there are also serious risks,” began Martien Schaub, Associate Professor at Erasmus School of Law, with her lecture. One of these risks is the spread of disinformation. Schaub argued that platforms should, through legislation, be held responsible for what is going on on their plaform, and should be required to monitor proactively. “They literally provide a platform on which disinformation spreads effortlessly and at lightning speed and with real-world consequences. Think, for example, of a threat to our democracy if disinformation influences voting behaviour.”
The influence of social media and AI on the legal profession
Under the moderation of Julia Mendlik, President of Rechtbank Rotterdam, various statements were presented to the audience. This sparked lively discussion among the panellists: Matthijs Gardien, lawyer and partner at Ploum Rotterdam Law Firm, Lars Visser, Public Prosecutor at Parket Rotterdam; Martien Schaub; and Willem Loorbach, Juvenile Judge at Rechtbank Rotterdam. The debate ranged from the impact of AI on business structures within the legal profession, the possibilities and desirability of various AI applications in legal practice and the importance of responsible AI use to the huge influence of social media on young people and the roles of different actors in tackling disinformation.
The panellists emphasised both the value of using AI to serve citizens as effectively as possible, and the importance of humanity, expertise and common sense in ensuring this is done responsibly and thereby contributing together to a just future.
Once again, a fine example of collaboration between the Rotterdamse rechtspraak, OM, balie and Erasmus School of Law.
