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Crossing the Rubicon: Regulating the Benefits, Pitfalls and Risks of the AI Frontier II

Ray Sun aka techie_ray and David continue their love affair with AI. Touching on copyright, the EU and its history of precedent setting, and artificial general intelligence.
Professional Skills Professional Skills
Substantive Law Substantive Law
4 August 2023
Raymond Sun
Techie Ray

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1 hour = 1 CPD point
How does it work?
What area(s) of law does this episode consider?The regulation of AI; current and emerging.
Why is this topic relevant?Artificial intelligence is currently revolutionising entire industries and reshaping the way we live and work. Alongside the potential benefits of the technology, there is a growing recognition that AI carries inherent risks that must – or should – be addressed through regulation.

This is part two of a two part series on the regulation of AI. Understanding and preparing for the future of AI and the law is a key skill for a modern lawyer.

What are the main points?
  • Copyright is a massive unanswered issue in the AI space.
  • On a practical level, once a work is bundled up into something like The Pile – a massive textual scape of the internet – where the copyright lies is difficult.
  • History and culture can be a good predictor of regulatory approaches. For example, Europe focuses on individual human rights. China is focused on cultural cohesion and risks to national security.
  • One of the real risks of AI is algorithmic bias. Algorithmic bias is a significant issue that needs to be addressed.
  • Current anti-discrimination laws are reactive to issues that have happened and do not prospectively regulate the development of AI to prevent bias.
  • The challenge in combating bias lies in the inexplicable nature of AI systems, making it difficult to understand and defend their decisions.
  • Private industry also needs to be aware of the risk of algorithmic bias and have proper legal and regulatory measures in place.
  • Education and training are crucial for ensuring compliance with policies – especially in relation to AI use in a business context.
  • Accessible policies delivered through AI tools can help employees understand and follow them better.
  • The development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is still a long way off, but regulations will likely control its creation.
  • AGI may only be accessible to big tech companies or those with resources, but hopefully responsible AI practices will become mainstream by then.
What are the practical takeaways?
  • Do what you’re passionate about! Ray says be genuine about your career choice.
  • Learning to code to be a tech lawyer is not necessary, but it can assist understanding the tech and the clients.
  • Really know how AI systems work if you want to operate in the space.
  • Be informed of history and the market in various regions and you may gain some insight into each jurisdiction’s regulatory approach.
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