Legal Aid Research Articles

Legal Support of Media Security and Cognitive Sovereignty: Challenges of Social Engineering, Hybrid Wars and Web 3.0 Mechanisms (Part 1)

The paper considers the main technologies (including socio-humanitarian ones) that pose challenges to ensure the security of communication in the Internet environment and require the development of new regulatory models. The correlation and interrelationships of the concepts of information, information[1]psychological, reputational and media security; information and cognitive sovereignty; information, cognitive and hybrid warfare; the phenomenon of «soft power», «sociological propaganda», which is important for the unification of the terminological apparatus in this area, are considered. For the first time, from the point of view of jurisprudence, the concept of cognitive sovereignty is comprehensively considered and its components are characterized, including media security, cultural sovereignty, technological sovereignty, managerial sovereignty, and legal security. The research section devoted to the comprehensive consideration of the phenomenon of social engineering is also new, not only as a set of methods of psychological influence aimed at obtaining unauthorized access to data, but also as other complexes of socio-humanitarian technologies for managing meanings, methods and techniques of information and psychological influence on human behavior. The place of legal social engineering in the system of social engineering is considered and the role of the lawyer-strategist (lawyer-lawmaker) is justified as a social engineer who develops models for rationing not only current, but also emerging, predictable social relations. An analysis of the development of cyberspace from the point of view of the concept «Web 1.0 — Web 2.0 — Web 3.0 — Web 3» made it possible, firstly, to develop an author’s feature model of various «types» (stages) of the development of the Internet environment and, secondly, to identify challenges to the law caused by the need to ensure media security and cognitive sovereignty, and also the adaptation of new economic models.

Beyond Solitary Reliance on the Namibian Police Force in Preserving Internal Security

ABSTRACT This study underscores that while the Namibian Constitution designates the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) as the authority responsible for preserving internal security, it acknowledges that addressing the multifaceted factors that impede the realisation of internal security requires other stakeholders' involvement. The analysis of participants' views and a thorough review of the current security landscape have shed light on the complexities and challenges faced by NamPol in its sole responsibility for maintaining internal security. Employing an exploratory qualitative approach, I conducted non-probability purposeful sampling, engaging in face-to-face and semi-structured interviews with a diverse pool of 20 participants, including police, military, correctional officers, municipal police, and personnel from legal assistance and NamRights. Thematic analysis was the chosen methodology, guided by a fundamental query: should the responsibility of preserving internal security be entrusted to the police alone or should countries consider moving beyond solitary reliance on the police?. The prevailing conditions emphasise the need for a collaborative approach to address these multifaceted challenges effectively. This is based on the limitations of the police force in addressing the root causes of insecurity, including poverty, social issues, and porous borders. While the police play a crucial role, it is evident that their capabilities are insufficient to comprehensively address these complex issues. The findings suggest that NamPol's constitutional mandate, as stipulated in Article 118 of Namibian Constitution Third Amendment Act, 2014 (Act No. 8 of 2014), should be amended to incorporate the involvement of other stakeholders in the preservation of internal security.

The cornerstones of the protection of fundamental rights in criminal matters in the EU

The present paper aims to provide an outline of the protection of fundamental rights, especially the right to a fair trial, from the perspective of criminal procedure and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters in the European Union. It concentrates on the attitude of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) towards the protection of fundamental rights on a European level - as opposed to national level -, also taking into account the evolution of the system of the European judicial protection of fundamental rights with respect to the dialogue between national ordinary courts and national constitutional courts and the CJEU. The central thematic element is the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union, concentrating on the evolution of its case law concerning fundamental rights in criminal procedure and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters during the last two decades, which is the eraof the growing importance of criminal law and criminal procedural law in EU law. The background is rather the horizontal and vertical cooperation incriminal matters, its evolution, the central role of the principle of mutual recognition and the underlying mutual trust of the Member States’ authorities in respect of each other’s criminal justice systems. The relevance of both harmonisation and the application of the mutual recognition principle to mutual legal assistance is inevitably connected to both the similarities and the differences of national legislation and criminal justice systems which are the basis of the preliminary ruling procedures of the Court of Justice of the European Union which also serves as a driving force of mutual trust and development in the area of European criminal law, while also bearing a growing importance in the system of judicial protection of fundamental rights throughout Europe.

Testing AI on language comprehension tasks reveals insensitivity to underlying meaning.

Large Language Models (LLMs) are recruited in applications that span from clinical assistance and legal support to question answering and education. Their success in specialized tasks has led to the claim that they possess human-like linguistic capabilities related to compositional understanding and reasoning. Yet, reverse-engineering is bound by Moravec's Paradox, according to which easy skills are hard. We systematically assess 7 state-of-the-art models on a novel benchmark. Models answered a series of comprehension questions, each prompted multiple times in two settings, permitting one-word or open-length replies. Each question targets a short text featuring high-frequency linguistic constructions. To establish a baseline for achieving human-like performance, we tested 400 humans on the same prompts. Based on a dataset of n = 26,680 datapoints, we discovered that LLMs perform at chance accuracy and waver considerably in their answers. Quantitatively, the tested models are outperformed by humans, and qualitatively their answers showcase distinctly non-human errors in language understanding. We interpret this evidence as suggesting that, despite their usefulness in various tasks, current AI models fall short of understanding language in a way that matches humans, and we argue that this may be due to their lack of a compositional operator for regulating grammatical and semantic information.

Role adaptation of nurses caring for older adults with terminal diseases in geriatric hospitals.

To understand the role adaptation process of nurses caring for older adult patients with terminal diseases in Chinese geriatric hospitals. The Chinese government has been encouraging the conversion of secondary general hospitals and some tertiary hospitals into specialized geriatric hospitals; however, research on nurses' adaptation to caring for older adult patients with terminal diseases in these hospitals is lacking. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 registered nurses with a minimum of two years of experience caring for older adults with terminal diseases. Following Glaserian grounded theory, open, selective, and theoretical coding were conducted for data analysis. The study followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist. "Guards of the shining sunset" emerged as the core category. Participants experienced three stages: "chaotic me," "rational me," and "inclusive me." They highlighted two causes, three contexts, two intervention conditions, three strategies, and two consequences. The study shows that nurses play a key role in "guarding the shining sunset" of older adult patients with terminal diseases. The observed role adaptation process provides theoretical support for interventions to assist nurses in becoming inclusive "guards of the shining sunset." Nurses play a unique role as guardians protecting the end-of-life quality of elderly patients. Their role needs to be expanded and strengthened via effective coping strategies and comprehensive legal, education, welfare, and professional promotion support policies. The substantive theory offered by this study may be applied by nurses, department leaders, geriatric hospital managers, and national-level institutions to underpin future interventions and improve role adaptation.

Advocacy as a key institution of civil society: individual and social dimensions of legal assistance

The article analyzes the place and functions of advocacy as a key institution of a democratic state. The importance of advocacy in the context of ensuring legal protection, access to justice and implementation of the principles of the rule of law is investigated. The role of advocacy as an important element of the legal system and civil society is considered. The transformation of the legal profession’s functions from the basic provision of legal aid to an active participant in the formation of state legal policy, improvement of the legislative framework and development of legal culture is being monitored. The dualistic nature of advocacy, which has both individual and social significance, is emphasized. The importance of advocacy as a tool of public control in the sphere of justice, its contribution to ensuring a fair trial and strengthening the rule of law is highlighted. The correlation between the development of the legal profession and the level of democratization of society, compliance with the rule of law and protection of human rights is analyzed. The status of the right to professional legal assistance as a basic human right that ensures the realization of other rights and legitimate interests is substantiated. Emphasis is placed on the importance of developing effective mechanisms for the legal protection of citizens with the participation of the legal profession. The impact of European integration on the modernization of the legal profession in Ukraine and the need to harmonize it with European standards are considered. Modern problems and prospects for the development of the legal profession in the process of building the legal state are analyzed. The defining role of advocacy in harmonizing the interests of the individual, society and the state, its significance for democratic development and the establishment of the rule of law is summarized. The need for further modernization of the institute of advocacy in accordance with modern challenges is emphasized.

VIOLÊNCIA DOMÉSTICA E O ACOLHIMENTO FEMININO: A IMPORTÂNCIA DAS CASAS DE APOIO PARA MULHERES VÍTIMAS

This study addresses the issue of domestic violence against women, highlighting the role of shelters in Amazonas as essential instruments in breaking the cycle of violence. The general objective is to analyse how these institutions contribute to the protection and recovery of victims, providing comprehensive support that promotes their autonomy and security. The methodology applied is based on a theoretical and practical analysis of the functioning of shelters, assessing legislative aspects and their application in the state of Amazonas. The research reveals that sheltering offers a safe and structured environment where women receive psychological, legal, and social support, significantly contributing to breaking the violence cycle and rebuilding self-esteem. The results indicate that, beyond providing shelter, these facilities offer multidimensional support that helps victims understand their rights and develop the confidence necessary to break ties with the aggressor. The conclusions reinforce the importance of these shelters within the women's protection system, suggesting the need to improve shelter policies to fully ensure victims’ rights to safety and dignity. Expanding resources and continuous team training are recommended to ensure shelters in Amazonas can provide even more effective assistance to women in vulnerable situations.

DIREITOS HUMANOS E O AMPARO AS FAMÍLIAS VÍTIMAS DE CRIMES CONTRA A VIDA

The scope of this study is to address human rights – a central aspect of any legal reflection, after all, all rights have an anthropocentric nature – in line with the social and legal support of families whose lives were cut short by violence. In particular, the families of victims of crimes against life. In the wake of this process, the research problem consists of asking how to strengthen means of social and legal protection for “those who remain”, that is, the relatives of victims of completed homicides. The general objective is to reflect on crimes against life from a different perspective of criminal protection: one that focuses not on the life that was cut short, but on the life that, with difficulty, must continue. Hence the importance of a fair investigation, trial, instruction and judgment to ensure that the truth is reconstructed and clarified for the relatives. The methodology used consists of a bibliographic review, carried out in a critical, systemic and integrative manner of the relevant literature, based on an inductive method, explanatory research and a qualitative approach. First, the article discusses the dignity of the human person as a legal- philosophical value. Second, it recognizes the protection of the legal asset “life” as played by criminal law. Third, it analyzes ways to socially and legally protect families of homicide victims. As a result, it is established that the social and legal protection of families of homicide victims requires an integrated and multifaceted approach. First, the dignity of the human person, as a fundamental value, must be central to policies and practices aimed at these families, ensuring that their integrity and rights are preserved and respected throughout the entire judicial process. Second, it is imperative that criminal law, when protecting the legal asset “life”, is not limited to punishing the perpetrator, but also considers the lasting impact on survivors and seeks to offer ongoing support. In addition, the research showed that, in order to strengthen social and legal protection, it is necessary to implement effective mechanisms of psychological, social and legal support, which go beyond palliative measures.

The Challenges of the New York Convention and Potential Solutions

This paper analyzes the current challenges of the New York Convention and proposes potential solutions through the actual situation and public reporting. Central to these challenges is the over-dependence on the judicial systems of the target countries, which often results in inconsistent and unreliable enforcement of international arbitration awards. This analysis identifies several key issues impacting the Convention's effectiveness: the conservative attitude of some countries in the enforcement of international arbitration, judicial corruption, the imperfection of the judicial system, and the different enforcement procedures under various judicial systems. To address these impediments, the paper explores innovative solutions inspired by successful practices from other international legal frameworks. Notably, it examines the streamlined processes of the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks and various bilateral legal assistance agreements. These models provide valuable insights into simplifying procedural complexities and enhancing the uniformity of legal processes. By integrating these practices, the paper proposes actionable strategies to mitigate the current limitations of the New York Convention, aiming to bolster its role as a foundational instrument in the global arbitration landscape.

A study of the enablers and barriers to the collection of sociodemographic data by public health units in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundCollection and use of sociodemographic data (SDD), including race, ethnicity and income, are foundational to understanding health inequities. Ontario’s public health units collected SDD as part of COVID-19 case management and vaccination activities. This research aimed to identify enablers and barriers to collecting SDD during COVID-19 case management and vaccination.MethodsAs part of a larger mixed-method research study [1], qualitative methods were used to identify enablers and barriers to SDD collection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants from Ontario’s 34 public health units. Sixteen focus groups and eight interviews were conducted virtually using Zoom. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed using inductive and deductive qualitative description.ResultsSDD collection enablers included: legally mandating SDD collection and having dedicated data systems, technological and legal supports, senior management championing SDD collection, establishing rapport and trust between staff and clients, and gaining insight from the experiences from local communities and other jurisdictions. Identified barriers to SDD collection included: provincial data systems being perceived as lacking user-friendliness, SDD collection “was not a priority,” time and other constraints on building staff and client rapport, and perceived discomfort with asking and answering personal SDD questions.ConclusionA combination of provincial and local organizational strategies including supportive data systems, training, and frameworks for data collection and use, are needed to normalize and scale up SDD collection by local health units beyond the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feasibility study of establishing an integrated geographic information system: a case study of medical libraries

PurposeMedical libraries can extend their resources’ accessibility by creating a network through web-based geographical information system (WEBGIS) that connects physical and non-physical resources. Geographical information system (GIS allows) libraries to create strong connections with other libraries by establishing a shared server for loading and using digital information. This research aims to explore the feasibility of creating a unified GIS-based service system for medical libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe target population for this study includes a total of 32 medical libraries across three medical universities (in this case called A, B and C). A researcher-designed 34-item questionnaire was applied in this study.FindingsFindings revealed that the libraries affiliated with University A have the highest average (46.54%) and better situation in terms of all of the needed infrastructures. Furthermore, in terms of the technical infrastructure required for implementing the integrated WEBGIS, the libraries of University B are in a better situation in comparison with other libraries (64.55%). Weak technical infrastructure belongs to libraries affiliated with University C, with 59.17% availability of infrastructure. The findings underscored the existing gaps in various aspects and highlighted the need for further improvements, particularly in financial and legal aspects, to enhance the overall availability of infrastructure.Originality/valueThis study was conducted for the first time in medical science libraries. The findings of this research shed light on the shortages within the surveyed universities in terms of human infrastructure. Results highlight the need for financial, legal and technical support to bridge the gap between the current status and the desired situation. By focusing on improving the various infrastructural aspects, libraries can foster a conducive environment for the effective utilization of spatial information systems, ultimately benefiting academic research, education and overall information management in the field of medical sciences.

International and national regulatory system of the intangible assets market

As part of the study, it was determined that increasing the competitiveness of business structures due to the intellectualization of their trade and economic activities led to a significant increase in the volume of the world market of intangible assets. The growth of the world market of intangible assets is accompanied by an increase in the vulnerability of its objects from the point of view of possible violations of their rights. We have identified the following reasons as the basis for violations regarding intangible assets: the legal field regulating trade relations in the field of transactions with intangible assets is created by the national legislation of different countries, which may differ significantly; growing trade in counterfeit goods and piracy. It is shown that the main purpose of creating the Agreement on Trade Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights within the framework of the World Trade Organization was the elimination of disagreements regarding the trade aspects of intellectual property rights in the legislative systems of individual countries; the importance of this Agreement in the context of the further development of the world market of intellectual property objects consists in the creation of principles and standards regarding the existence, scope and use of intellectual property rights, as well as in the development of effective means of compliance with these rights. It was found that the further development of the market of intellectual property objects requires an increase in the effectiveness of legal support and the need to create new approaches to solving, first of all, legal and organizational problems of the regulation of intellectual property rights at the regional and national levels in connection with the expansion of opportunities for the use of objects of intellectual property rights in new high-tech areas, including in the conditions of global networks, as well as in connection with the emergence of new objects of intellectual property. It was concluded that the effectiveness of the system of protection of intangible assets is directly related to the existing legal framework, and the directions for further improvement of the legislative support for the protection of intangible assets in the field of international business should be considered as follows: definition of mechanisms for the protection of intangible assets in the field of information technology, first of all, improvement of normative and legal framework in the field of protection of intellectual property rights on the Internet; development of provisions on the protection of commercial secret rights and sanctions for appropriating the authorship of someone else’s intellectual property; development of a more sophisticated counteraction to the movement through the customs territory of the country of goods that violate intellectual property rights; creation of normative and legal regulation of issues related to the need to carry out valuation of the value of intangible assets.

Exploring the Dynamics of Communication in the Handling of Child Victims of Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse: A Case Study in the Women's and Children's Protection Technical Implementation Unit, Pekanbaru City Government in Indonesia

This study aims to examine the dynamics of communication in handling intrafamilial child sexual abuse, with a case study of RR, a child victim of sexual abuse by her stepfather and cousin, reported to the Technical Implementation Unit for the Protection of Women and Children (Unit Pelaksana Teknis Perlindungan Perempuan dan Anak/UPT PPA) of the Pekanbaru City Government. Data collection techniques include in-depth interviews, observations, and document studies. Using the constructivist paradigm and the social construction theory by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann, the collected data were analyzed qualitatively to explore how communication patterns and interactions among the involved parties, including the UPT PPA team, the victim, the victim's family, the Social Services, the Police, Legal Aid, orphanages, and other informal parties, build the social reality of child protection for the victim RR. Data sources were selected using purposive sampling based on criteria until saturation was reached. The findings indicate that despite communication barriers and non-cooperation from the family, effective communication and good coordination among all involved parties are crucial to ensuring the recovery and ongoing legal process for the child victim of sexual abuse. An empathetic, sensitive, and collaborative approach can help the victim feel supported and gradually recover from the traumatic experience. Collaboration between institutions plays an essential role in providing protection and social rehabilitation for RR. The dynamics of communication in handling intrafamilial child sexual abuse involve the dialectical processes of externalization, objectification, and internalization among the various parties involved. Received: 30 July 2024 / Accepted: 28 October 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024

MODERNIZATION OF STATE POLICY IN THE FIELD OF STATE CONTROL (SUPERVISION) OVER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

The article analyzes the essence of modernization of the State policy in the field of control (supervision) over economic activity with due regard for the changing political and economic situation in the country. The author examines the main conceptual approaches to the definition of basic terms, and also identifies the features and purpose of state control (supervision) in the economic sphere. It is found that the state of the system of control (supervision) over economic activity does not always correspond to the realities of today. Hence, the author concludes that the control system is not always relevant and effective. The author identifies the main problems on the way to modernization of legislation in the field of control (supervision) over economic activity. The author proposes to use adequate means of regulating and controlling economic activity during a special period caused, for example, by a pandemic, military operations on the territory of Ukraine, etc. The author examines the key areas of state policy in the field of legal regulation of control (supervision) over economic activity. The author defines the system of regulatory and legal support of the state policy in the field of control over economic activity at different stages of economic development of the country. The author analyzes the legal acts adopted under the legal regime of martial law aimed at stabilizing the situation in the economic system of our country.

Legal Aid and the Future of Access to Justice by Catrina Denvir, Jacqueline Kinghan, Jess Mant and Daniel Newman

Legal Aid and the Future of Access to Justice by Catrina Denvir, Jacqueline Kinghan, Jess Mant and Daniel Newman

Environmentally Induced Human Displacement and Human Rights: Bridging Legal Gaps Through a Human Rights-Based Approach

Abstract This article discusses the complex issue of environmentally induced human displacement and emphasises the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to address it effectively. It begins by examining the terminology and underlying causes of environmentally induced human displacement and highlights the interdependence of environmental degradation, climate change and human migration. Next, it stresses the importance of protecting displaced individuals irrespective of terminology and advocates for a human rights-based approach as the most effective means to ensure their legal status and protection. The article calls for a paradigm shift within the human rights regime through the recognition of a right to a healthy environment in a legally binding global instrument. That shift would provide a stronger legal foundation for protecting environmentally induced displaced persons and would bridge the existing gaps in international law. Furthermore, the introduction of this right would empower States to clearly define their obligations and grant displaced individuals access to legal recourse and support systems, ensuring their rights are recognised and upheld.

THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF INTERNATIONAL LABOR MIGRANTS

This paper reviews the role and importance of international organisations in protecting international labour migrants' rights. Millions of people are crossing borders to seek employment, and the protection of their rights is essentially related to their fair treatment, social security, and access to justice in a foreign country. Key organisations, such as the International Labour Organization and the United Nations, have developed conventions, policies, and frameworks that would guide labor migrants for workplace conditions, social protection, legal assistance, and family reunification. This article examines the shifting landscape of labor migrant rights using international conventions and organizational activities, along with the problems involved in creating and implementing such protection for them across the world. Current works to adapt international standards to the heterogeneous requirements of labor migrants and reviews future strategies that will enhance these protections at a global level, are also given due consideration.

The Association of Migration-Related Stress with Poor Mental Health Among Recently Resettled Afghan Refugees

BackgroundThe resettlement of Afghan refugees in Oklahoma City, OK, provides a critical context for examining the mental health challenges faced by this population due to post-migration stressors. MethodsThis study utilized online surveys to recently resettled Afghan refugees in Oklahoma City, with support provided by bilingual research assistants to accommodate low literacy rates. Surveys, initially in English, were professionally translated into Dari and Pashto and validated through back-translation. ResultsParticipants (N= 348) were majority of Pashtun ethnicity. High rates of mental health issues were evident, with 62.1% of participants screening positive for depression and 20.1% for probable GAD. Logistic regression analysis revealed that lower pre-migration socioeconomic status (SES) and high post-migration stressors such as discrimination and loss of homeland were significantly associated with increased mental health problems. Stress related to the worry for and loss of their homeland was a substantial predictor of high distress (AOR= 2.71, p <.001), anxiety (AOR= 1.99, p =.001) and depression (AOR= 2.65, p<.001). Experiences of discrimination post-resettlement was also associated with anxiety (AOR 4.92, p <.001). DiscussionThe findings highlight the profound impact of post-migration stressors on the mental health of Afghan refugees. This study underscores the need for targeted interventions to address the specific challenges faced by refugees, such as language barriers, employment, legal support, and anti-discrimination measures, to facilitate better integration and improve mental health outcomes. ConclusionEnhanced community integration programs and comprehensive support services are essential to mitigate the mental health challenges faced by Afghan refugees, suggesting a broader application for such approaches in similar resettlement contexts globally.

Beyond the “Hybrid Attack” Paradigm: EU-Belarus Border Crisis and the Erosion of Asylum-Seeker Rights in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland

While in the recent years violations of asylum-seeker rights have been increasingly documented in EU Member States, the crisis at the EU-Belarus border has opened up a whole new chapter in this area. In response to the perceived migrant instrumentalisation by the Belarusian regime, several Member States—Latvia, Lithuania and Poland—have openly introduced long-term, far-reaching and blanket legislative measures that severely restricted the right to seek asylum and formalised pushbacks—contrary to their obligations under EU law and international refugee and human rights law. This paper approaches the topic from a comparative socio-legal perspective. Apart from a legal analysis of the Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish domestic measures, it is based on interviews with non-EU nationals affected, as well as NGO representatives, volunteers and legal practitioners who have been providing legal and humanitarian assistance to people crossing from Belarus. The paper, first, offers an overview of Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish responses to the events at the border and looks at how the relevant measures affect the non-EU nationals involved. Second, it engages with the migrant instrumentalisation paradigm, relied on by the governments to derogate from EU and international legal framework, and explores the EU-level response to the crisis. This study argues that EU’s border with Belarus has de facto become an exclusion zone where protection seekers are deprived of their right to claim asylum and continuously exposed to various types of inhuman and degrading treatment. It also demonstrates that the migrant instrumentalisation concept is problematic on multiple levels and does not correspond to the realities on the ground.

Artificial intelligence in teaching social disciplines: Opportunities and challenges of tools

Based on the analysis of scientific sources and practical experience in teaching social disciplines, the article reveals the role and problems of using AI in the system of higher education. The scientific opinion about the inevitability of using AI, despite its risks, in teaching social disciplines is expressed. A comparative analysis of the subject area, conceptual apparatus, functional purpose and research methods of social disciplines is carried out. Similar features are revealed, the basis of which is their focus on the scientific study of the social and psychological behaviour of individuals, social groups and communities. On the example of didactic methods of teaching social disciplines in higher education, the expediency of using AI tools in the process of teaching is substantiated. Their main capabilities are personalised learning, forecasting and trend analysis, data visualisation, simulations and virtual laboratories, speech, video and voice interfaces, assessment tools, and generation of comments and feedback. Clarification of the principles and main possibilities of using AI tools has revealed the main problems, which include ethics, reliability, transparency, insufficient professional training of teachers and imperfect legal support. We outline prospects for further research on the peculiarities of using AI tools to teach social disciplines in higher education.