Making AI Work for You: A Legal Perspective
Is generative AI a panacea or a minefield? It depends on what industry you work in and how you use it. While it holds indisputable potential, it also creates new risks. If you upload your data to a public AI model, for example, you can’t control how it’s used. Using AI-generated output, you can breach copyright or trademark without knowing it. You can also cite data that is incorrect—or entirely invented. While the EU is considering AI-specific regulations, AI in the U.S. will likely remain unregulated for the foreseeable future, so every company needs to establish internal processes to mitigate risk, according to May Winfield, global head of legal and digital risk for Buro Happold. Winfield shares how they formed an AI working group to understand the technology, learn how it was being used internally, establish how it could most benefit their business, and anticipate and mitigate potential problems. It’s all about knowing your “what” and your “why,” Winfield says—and the time to act is now. “Smart phones have fundamentally changed how we interact with the world and with each other,” she says. “AI is set to do the same.”
About the speaker
May Winfied is Global Head of Legal and Digital Risk at multinational engineering firm Buro Happold. She is recognized as one of the leading specialists in legal and other risks associated with digital technology, including 3D modeling, blockchain, digital twins, and AI. She is co-author of standard industry documents related to digital and construction technology, including leading the drafting of the UK Government-approved legal guidance and standard contract documentation for the ISO19650 international standards. She was named one of the “10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022” and received the UK Leading Expert in Construction Law award at the 2022 Corporate Excellence Awards.