Justine Gauthier: Navigating AI Governance Complexities Expertly

Published Date: 29/08/2024

Justine Gauthier, general counsel and head of AI governance at Mila, discusses the importance of multidisciplinary involvement in AI governance and the need for adaptable regulatory frameworks.

As artificial intelligence continues to redefine the zeitgeist, legal professionals are keeping a close eye on developments and what they could mean for internal practices. For Justine Gauthier, managing regulations and expectations around AI is a way of life – and something that she takes incredibly seriously.

As general counsel and head of AI governance at Mila, the Montreal-based artificial intelligence research institute, she tells us that new tech offers both amazing opportunities and heavy challenges. Her legal team advises on partnerships, agreements, and the social impacts of AI.

The scope of their work spans advising tech teams, business units, and executives on various legal issues, many related to research and development of AI technology. This involves drafting and negotiating technology agreements and partnerships and handling technology transfers due to the academic affiliations of their researchers.

AI governance at Mila, although recently formalized, has always been intrinsic to their operations. As AI evolves, the legal frameworks surrounding this technology must also evolve. Gauthier recently worked on a paper proposing a new modifiable-type open-source license alongside co-authors Paul Gagnon and Misha Benjamin.

The Modifiable-type (M-type) license aims to adapt to the rapid changes in the regulatory landscape by allowing contributors to modify or revoke their licenses in good faith if unforeseen issues, like biases in AI models, arise. This is really a new mechanism we're proposing to the open-source community to give back a little bit more power to the contributors.

AI governance frameworks were a major topic at the recent Canadian Privacy Symposium (CPS) 24, where Gauthier participated in a panel discussion. The first thing to keep in mind is that there's no one framework that fits all. The context of the organization, whether it's a technology company or not, greatly influences the framework's design.

One critical component of an effective AI governance framework is the multidisciplinary involvement of various teams within an organization. It can't just be the lawyers looking at this. That's not going to work. It also can't just be the tech teams and the developers looking at this on their end. Everyone kind of needs to work together to cover the different angles.

At Mila, addressing the ethical and social implications of AI is paramount. Conducting impact assessments is a big part of that. Mila's commitment to ethical AI is evident in its integration of research on the social impacts of AI.

FAQS:

Q: What is the role of Justine Gauthier at Mila?

A: Justine Gauthier is the general counsel and head of AI governance at Mila.

Q: What is the focus of Mila's AI governance?

A: Mila's AI governance focuses on advising tech teams, business units, and executives on various legal issues related to research and development of AI technology.

Q: What is the purpose of the Modifiable-type (M-type) license?

A: The M-type license aims to adapt to the rapid changes in the regulatory landscape by allowing contributors to modify or revoke their licenses in good faith if unforeseen issues, like biases in AI models, arise.

Q: What is the importance of multidisciplinary involvement in AI governance?

A: Multidisciplinary involvement is crucial in AI governance as it ensures that various teams within an organization work together to cover different angles and address the complex challenges of AI.

Q: What is Mila's approach to addressing the ethical and social implications of AI?

A: Mila integrates research on the social impacts of AI and conducts impact assessments to address the ethical and social implications of AI.

More Topics :