Investments in artificial intelligence (AI)-related startups have tripled in the past three years and a more than a 300 percent increase in investment in AI by business is anticipated in 2017. AI development and deployment raise legal issues that do not fit neatly into one traditional bucket. To help clients meet this challenge our firm has established a firmwide cross-disciplinary AI initiative to advise and support clients that are or may be developing or incorporating AI technology in their businesses and products.
The K&L Gates AI initiative harnesses the global experience of our lawyers in diverse practices and enables the firm to help clients capitalize on a broad array of technologies and applications, from process optimization, custom controls, and automation to robotics, machine learning, predictive analytics, computer vision, and Internet of Things (IoT) in such areas as smart-cars and autonomous vehicles, home/service robots, unmanned aircraft, and intelligent tutoring and online learning systems.
Our Experience
K&L Gates counsels a range of clients who are utilizing and/or exploring artificial intelligence technology to enhance their business. Our clients use or invest in drone technology, aerial filming, data analytics in the education, energy, entertainment and government sectors, among others. We are experienced in cross-border as well as national transactions, complex and routine cases covering a wide range of technologies and industries. Furthermore, we are positioned to provide IP counsel throughout the United States, Europe, the U.K., and the Asia Pacific region.
Our team will comprise lawyers from across K&L Gates’ global platform, including those in the intellectual property, policy and regulatory, financial services, corporate/M&A, emerging growth, and insurance coverage practices, among others. Additionally, we have a partner who was the former chairman of the US House of Rep. Science Committee having jurisdiction over most of the agencies that would fund research or help develop standards for technology and AI.
We have a deep appreciation for our clients’ concerns, especially across the newest technologies and potential unknowns which challenge our client’s business objectives. Our selected experience advising clients across the AI space includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Advised on technology transaction agreements involving development and use of machine learning and predictive analytics
- Represented voice recognition projects, including the collection and use of data acquired in the course of voice recognition services
- Represented investors in AI-based companies, including medical applications
- Advised on the AI implications of providing financial services advice, such as robo-advisers to financial services related clients
- Advised and monitored European Union policy & regulatory developments in the AI field regarding the European Union approach and strategy for related issues under the larger concept of AI
- Advised clients on patent prosecution across the AI industry, including for autonomous vehicles, computer network security, educational and tutoring systems, and medical diagnosis system
- Represented an autonomous 3D Vision navigation company in a development agreement with a South Korean multinational conglomerate company, on its robot rental agreement, development agreement with major materials handling company
- Counseled AI clients on building privacy by design and security by design principles into IoT products, as well as general data privacy and protection counseling for IoT products and businesses, such as data transfer, notice and choice and data monetization
- Advised AI clients to address their consumer protection issues associated with connected products, including advertising and marketing and location tracking
The launch of the AI initiative follows the firm’s announcement earlier this month of a $10 million gift to Carnegie Mellon University for the establishment of the “K&L Gates Endowment for Ethics and Computational Technologies” to study the ethical issues posed by artificial intelligence. The gift allows for the creation of new faculty chairs, a number of doctoral student Presidential Fellowships, and a biennial conference in the area of computational technologies as well as an undergraduate scholarship.
To learn more about Carnegie Mellon University and its School of Computer Science, visit their website at: https://www.scs.cmu.edu/.
Click here to listen to a segment regarding the endowment that aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.
