The legal implications of using artificial intelligence (AI) in business is the focus of this edition of Business Day Spotlight.
Host Mudiwa Gabaza will be joined by Darren Olivier, a partner at law firm Adams & Adams.
The conversation will focus on the rapid evolution of AI and the challenges facing the legal system to keep pace with this technology.
Olivier, head of the company’s AI governance practice, discusses the global tug of war between accelerating AI innovation and protecting the rights of content creators.
He points out that European regulations tend to be stricter and protect intellectual property (IP) holders, while U.S. court decisions often tend to favor AI models.
South Africa is currently developing a national policy on AI.
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Unlike Europe’s harmonized approach, South Africa’s strategy involves embedding AI considerations into existing frameworks such as the Personal Information Protection Act (Popia), Companies Act and other regulations.
The biggest concern for companies is whether they own the output produced by the AI tools. Olivier emphasizes the need to trace human contributions to AI-generated works to establish ownership under current law.
Beyond intellectual property, companies must address risks related to data breaches, confidentiality, and “illusions” or AI-generated false information.
He highlights the significant reputational damage that can result from the use of unregulated AI.
This discussion will provide expert insight into the legal implications of AI in business, particularly on intellectual property and governance.
Olivier points out that an African-specific challenge is that many models are trained on Western data with limited input from Africa, which can lead to bias in AI systems.
Producer: Demi Bouzo
Business Day Spotlight is an Arena Podcast Production.
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