On the afternoon of 12 December 2024, the 2nd Literature Reading on Future Rule of Law and Digital Intelligence Technology was successfully held in the conference room of Legal Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the Law School of Southeast University. The theme of this reading activity is ‘Digital Power and Digital Society’, and the literature reading was jointly undertaken by Associate Professor Wang Yuan and PhD student Wang Jingyi of the School of Law 24. Professor Wang Lusheng, Director of Social Sciences Office, Associate Professor Yang Jie, Associate Professor Xu Minchuan, Associate Professor Ren Danli, Associate Professor Chen Daoying, Associate Researcher Zheng Xiaojun, Teacher Liu Yifan, and students from the Digital Law Team participated in this activity.

During the event, Ms Jingyi Wang, a PhD student of the School of Law in grade 24, introduced in detail the line of thought and core ideas of the primary and secondary literature, especially the research framework of digital power. Wang focused on analysing the literature's elaboration on the triple renewal of digital power, emphasising the importance of digital power as a socialised power rather than a mere technical tool, and pointing out the close connection between technological rights, algorithmic power, data power and digital power.

Associate Professor Wang Yuan further provided an in-depth analysis of the concept of digital power, exploring how digital technology constitutes a new form of public and private power, as well as its challenges and opportunities for the rule of law; and then raised the question of whether digital private power still exists in situations that can be addressed by existing norms. In particular, Mr Wang pointed out that digital power is not only an extension of technological power, but also an embodiment of social power, which needs to be regulated under the legal framework.

In the discussion session, students and teachers exchanged ideas with each other, and the academic atmosphere was strong. 24 PhD student Wang Yongpeng questioned the way of argumentation of the demand theory of digital private power. 24 PhD student Xiao Yuanhang distinguished between descriptive and normative power, and thought that the transition of digital power from descriptive power to normative power still needed in-depth consideration. 22 PhD student Sun Yu thought that the article embodied the theory of social system, and emphasized the mutual influence of technology and society. Zhao Yi, a PhD candidate in the class of 23, thinks that digital power is worth exploring as a subordinate concept of technological power, borrowing the analogy of a clock, and argues that the influence of digital platforms is regulated under the framework of legal power, and needs to be analysed from the perspective of technological alienation and control. 23rd PhD candidate Cui Rongzhen proposes whether the analysis of digital power can be borrowed from the framework of other disciplines. 23rd PhD candidate Zhou Yuheng argues that the article embodies social systems theory, emphasizing the interplay between technology and society. Zhou Yuheng argued that digital power should be defined from practical perspectives such as business practices. 23 PhD student Wang Yang argued that the boundary between the role of digital platforms as auxiliary tools and their impact on human rights needs to be analysed more clearly.

Associate Professor Ren Danli recognised the comprehensive approach to discussing digital power, arguing that the article was able to explore the threat to human rights posed by the expansion of power from the perspective of the rule of law and order, but that whether private power should be included in the discussion was still controversial. Associate Researcher Zheng Xiaojun raised the question of whether private subjects should be regulated by public law, which involves the issue of influence. It was also pointed out that the creation of the concept of digital power can help to describe new phenomena, and that today's society needs new concepts to cope with the changes brought about by digitalisation. Associate Professor Yang Jie interpreted the form of power from the perspectives of behavioural versus outcome regulation, administrative efficiency and judicial fairness. Associate Professor Xu Minchuan pointed out that the main article focuses on what kind of rule of law approach can be used to control the influence of large-scale digital platforms, and whether algorithmic governance can be extended to digital power, and that it is still necessary to clarify the attributes of the sociology of law in terms of the generation and sources of power.

At the end of the activity, Professor Wang Lusheng summarised the literature study activity and affirmed the depth and breadth of the study. Wang analysed the highlights of the primary and secondary literature in turn, emphasising the importance of a multi-dimensional perspective in looking at the object of study as well as the point of sublimation and the point of landing of the article. The 2nd session of Future Rule of Law and Digital Intelligence Technological Innovation Literature Reading Activity was successfully concluded in a lively discussion between teachers and students.