Alan Wilson appearing on The Pre Read Podcast
In the latest episode of Workiva's The Pre Read podcast, Alan Wilson, a renowned expert in AI legal matters, was a guest. The discussion revolved around legal considerations for businesses implementing AI, with a focus on managing risks related to data privacy, intellectual property, discrimination, liability, and compliance with evolving regulations.
The episode did not provide specific details about the businesses discussed, but it delved into the importance of developing AI risk management programs, aligning AI adoption with an organization’s core business context, and following emerging standards from bodies like ISO and NIST.
One of the key areas of discussion was data privacy and protection. As AI often processes personal or sensitive data, compliance with privacy laws like HIPAA (for health data in the U.S.) and GDPR (in the EU) is crucial. GDPR notably includes rights against automated profiling and decision-making, requiring transparency and explanations about AI outputs.
The issue of intellectual property (IP) also came up, with AI-generated inventions raising questions on patent ownership, as current U.S. patent law requires a natural person as inventor, creating uncertainty about patenting AI-developed innovations.
The discussion also touched upon discrimination and fairness, with some state laws mandating AI risk programs to prevent algorithmic discrimination in impactful decisions. For instance, Colorado’s Consumer Protections in Interactions with AI Systems (effective Feb 2026) is a notable example.
Liability was another topic of discussion, with autonomous AI decisions presenting legal challenges regarding who is responsible for harm or errors, complicating product liability and employment law considerations.
The current regulatory landscape for AI was also a part of the discussion. While the U.S. lacks a comprehensive federal AI regulatory framework, there has been an increase in state-level legislation. Notable examples include Colorado and Utah, which have passed AI-specific legislation focusing on consumer protection and risk management.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is updating its AI Risk Management Framework, though recent federal policy emphasizes deregulation, sometimes removing considerations like diversity and misinformation from these standards.
The podcast concluded with Alan Wilson sharing insights on various aspects related to AI legal considerations. However, it did not disclose any new or groundbreaking information about AI legal considerations. The full episode of Workiva's The Pre Read podcast featuring Alan Wilson is available for listening.
Steve Soter and Alyssa Zucker were the co-hosts of the podcast episode. The discussion also addressed representing AI's capabilities without misrepresentation, further emphasizing the importance of ethical AI use. Overall, the podcast underscored the need for rigorous internal governance, awareness of emerging laws, particularly at the state level, and preparation for a shifting regulatory environment that currently balances innovation incentives with incremental legal controls.
Artificial-intelligence (AI) was a major focus of the discussion in the latest episode of Workiva's The Pre Read podcast, particularly in relation to technology. The podcast emphasized the need for businesses implementing AI to address legal considerations, such as data privacy and protection, managing risks related to algorithmic discrimination, intellectual property, liability, and compliance with evolving regulations.
Additionally, the podcast touched upon the significance of developing AI risk management programs, which should align with an organization's core business context and follow emerging standards from bodies like ISO and NIST, to ensure ethical use and mitigate potential issues.
