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Lawyers Falling Into Race To ‘Do Something With AI’ Despite Having No Clue What AI Can Even Do

Lawyers must trust their technology experts to determine the appropriate use cases for AI technology, as some law firms are embracing AI without understanding its limits or having defined pain points to solve.

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AI executives may be exaggerating the dangers of artificial intelligence in order to advance their own interests, according to an analysis of responses to proposed AI regulations.
A new poll conducted by the AI Policy Institute reveals that 72 percent of American voters want to slow down the development of AI, signaling a divergence between elite opinion and public opinion on the technology. Additionally, the poll shows that 82 percent of American voters do not trust AI companies to self-regulate. To address these concerns, the AI Now Institute has proposed a framework called "Zero Trust AI Governance," which calls for lawmakers to vigorously enforce existing laws, establish bold and easily administrable rules, and place the burden of proof on companies to demonstrate the safety of their AI systems.
AI-generated inventions need to be allowed patent protection to encourage innovation and maximize social benefits, as current laws hinder progress in biomedicine; jurisdictions around the world have differing approaches to patenting AI-generated inventions, and the US falls behind in this area, highlighting the need for legislative action.
The U.S. is falling behind in regulating artificial intelligence (AI), while Europe has passed the world's first comprehensive AI law; President Joe Biden recently met with industry leaders to discuss the need for AI regulation and companies pledged to develop safeguards for AI-generated content and prioritize user privacy.
Major media organizations are calling for new laws to protect their content from being used by AI tools without permission, expressing concerns over unauthorized scraping and the potential for AI to produce false or biased information.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to deliver significant productivity gains, but its current adoption may further consolidate the dominance of Big Tech companies, raising concerns among antitrust authorities.
The deployment of generation AI (gen AI) capabilities in enterprises comes with compliance risks and potential legal liabilities, particularly related to data privacy laws and copyright infringement, prompting companies to take a cautious approach and deploy gen AI in low-risk areas. Strategies such as prioritizing lower-risk use cases, implementing data governance measures, utilizing layers of control, considering open-source software, addressing data residency requirements, seeking indemnification from vendors, and giving board-level attention to AI are being employed to mitigate risks and navigate regulatory uncertainty.
The use of AI algorithms by insurance companies to assess claims is raising concerns about potential bias and lack of human oversight, leading Pennsylvania legislators to propose legislation that would regulate the use of AI in claims processing.
The use of copyrighted material to train generative AI tools is leading to a clash between content creators and AI companies, with lawsuits being filed over alleged copyright infringement and violations of fair use. The outcome of these legal battles could have significant implications for innovation and society as a whole.
Artificial intelligence (AI) poses risks in the legal industry, including ethical dilemmas, reputational damage, and discrimination, according to legal technology experts. Instances of AI-generated content without proper human oversight could compromise the quality of legal representation and raise concerns about professional responsibility. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently settled a lawsuit involving discriminatory use of AI in the workplace, highlighting the potential for AI to discriminate. Maintaining trust and credibility is crucial in the reputation-reliant field of law, and disseminating AI-generated content without scrutiny may lead to reputational damage and legal consequences for lawyers or law firms. Other legal cases involving AI include allegations of copyright infringement.
Salesforce has released an AI Acceptable Use Policy that outlines the restrictions on the use of its generative AI products, including prohibiting their use for weapons development, adult content, profiling based on protected characteristics, medical or legal advice, and more. The policy emphasizes the need for responsible innovation and sets clear ethical guidelines for the use of AI.
Companies that want to succeed with AI must focus on educating their workforce, exploring use cases, experimenting with proofs of concept, and expanding their capabilities with a continuous and strategic approach.
The advent of artificial intelligence is driving new mergers and acquisitions in the legal profession and increasing efficiency across industries.
The American Bar Association is forming a new group to assess the impact of artificial intelligence on the practice of law and to address ethical questions surrounding the technology.
A global survey by Salesforce indicates that consumers have a growing distrust of firms using AI, with concerns about unethical use of the technology, while an Australian survey found that most people believe AI creates more problems than it solves.
Generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion, raises legal questions related to data use, copyrights, patents, and privacy, leading to lawsuits and uncertainties that could slow down technology adoption.
The rapid integration of AI technologies into workflows is causing potential controversies and creating a "ticking time bomb" for businesses, as AI tools often produce inaccurate or biased content and lack proper regulations, leaving companies vulnerable to confusion and lawsuits.
Despite the acknowledgement of its importance, only 6% of business leaders have established clear ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing the need for technology professionals to step up and take leadership in the safe and ethical development of AI initiatives.
“A Recent Entrance to Paradise” is a pixelated artwork created by an artificial intelligence called DABUS in 2012. However, its inventor, Stephen Thaler, has been denied copyright for the work by a judge in the US. This decision has sparked a series of legal battles in different countries, as Thaler believes that DABUS, his AI system, is sentient and should be recognized as an inventor. These lawsuits raise important questions about intellectual property and the rights of AI systems. While Thaler's main supporter argues that machine inventions should be protected to encourage social good, Thaler himself sees these cases as a way to raise awareness about the existence of a new species. The debate revolves around whether AI systems can be considered creators and should be granted copyright and patent rights. Some argue that copyright requires human authorship, while others believe that intellectual property rights should be granted regardless of the involvement of a human inventor or author. The outcome of these legal battles could have significant implications for the future of AI-generated content and the definition of authorship.
The use of AI in the entertainment industry, such as body scans and generative AI systems, raises concerns about workers' rights, intellectual property, and the potential for broader use of AI in other industries, infringing on human connection and privacy.
The United States Copyright Office has launched a study on artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright law, seeking public input on various policy issues and exploring topics such as AI training, copyright liability, and authorship. Other U.S. government agencies, including the SEC, USPTO, and DHS, have also initiated inquiries and public forums on AI, highlighting its impact on innovation, governance, and public policy.
The Supreme Court's "major questions doctrine" could hinder the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) by expert agencies, potentially freezing investments and depriving funding from AI platforms that adhere to higher standards, creating uncertainty and hindering progress in the field.
Tech industry lobbyists are turning their attention to state capitals in order to influence AI legislation and prevent the imposition of stricter rules across the nation, as states often act faster than Congress when it comes to tech issues; consumer advocates are concerned about the industry's dominance in shaping AI policy discussions.
State attorneys general, including Oklahoma's Attorney General Gentner Drummond, are urging Congress to address the consequences of artificial intelligence on child pornography, expressing concern that AI-powered tools are making prosecution more challenging and creating new opportunities for abuse.
LexisNexis, a legal software company, recognizes the potential of AI in reducing mundane legal work, but also acknowledges the need for careful checking due to the recent incident where lawyers used ChatGPT to write a poor brief citing fake cases.
Industry experts and tech companies are working to develop artificial intelligence that is fairer and more transparent, as explored at one of the longest-running AI conferences in the world.
Three entrepreneurs used claims of artificial intelligence to defraud clients of millions of dollars for their online retail businesses, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Eight big tech companies, including Adobe, IBM, Salesforce, and Nvidia, have pledged to conduct more testing and research on the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in a meeting with White House officials, signaling a "bridge" to future government action on the issue. These voluntary commitments come amidst congressional scrutiny and ongoing efforts by the White House to develop policies for AI.
Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley are holding a hearing to discuss legislation on regulating artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on protecting against potential dangers posed by AI and improving transparency and public trust in AI companies. The bipartisan legislation framework includes creating an independent oversight body, clarifying legal liability for AI harms, and requiring companies to disclose when users are interacting with AI models or systems. The hearing comes ahead of a major AI Insight Forum, where top tech executives will provide insights to all 100 senators.
Small and medium businesses are open to using AI tools to enhance competitiveness, but have concerns about keeping up with evolving technology and fraud risks, according to a study by Visa.
Eight more companies, including Adobe, IBM, Palantir, Nvidia, and Salesforce, have pledged to voluntarily follow safety, security, and trust standards for artificial intelligence (AI) technology, joining the initiative led by Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and others, as concerns about the impact of AI continue to grow.
The AI industry should learn from the regulatory challenges faced by the crypto industry and take a proactive approach in building relationships with lawmakers, highlighting the benefits of AI technology, and winning public support through campaigns in key congressional districts and states.
A bipartisan group of senators is expected to introduce legislation to create a government agency to regulate AI and require AI models to obtain a license before deployment, a move that some leading technology companies have supported; however, critics argue that licensing regimes and a new AI regulator could hinder innovation and concentrate power among existing players, similar to the undesirable economic consequences seen in Europe.
Artificial intelligence (AI) requires leadership from business executives and a dedicated and diverse AI team to ensure effective implementation and governance, with roles focusing on ethics, legal, security, and training data quality becoming increasingly important.
Adversaries and criminal groups are exploiting artificial intelligence (AI) technology to carry out malicious activities, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray, who warned that while AI can automate tasks for law-abiding citizens, it also enables the creation of deepfakes and malicious code, posing a threat to US citizens. The FBI is working to identify and track those misusing AI, but is cautious about using it themselves. Other US security agencies, however, are already utilizing AI to combat various threats, while concerns about China's use of AI for misinformation and propaganda are growing.
Governments worldwide are grappling with the challenge of regulating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, as countries like Australia, Britain, China, the European Union, France, G7 nations, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Nations, and the United States take steps to establish regulations and guidelines for AI usage.
While many experts are concerned about the existential risks posed by AI, Mustafa Suleyman, cofounder of DeepMind, believes that the focus should be on more practical issues like regulation, privacy, bias, and online moderation. He is confident that governments can effectively regulate AI by applying successful frameworks from past technologies, although critics argue that current internet regulations are flawed and insufficiently hold big tech companies accountable. Suleyman emphasizes the importance of limiting AI's ability to improve itself and establishing clear boundaries and oversight to ensure enforceable laws. Several governments, including the European Union and China, are already working on AI regulations.
AI adoption is rapidly increasing, but it is crucial for businesses to establish governance and ethical usage policies to prevent potential harm and job loss, while utilizing AI to automate tasks, augment human work, enable change management, make data-driven decisions, prioritize employee training, and establish responsible AI governance.