AI is transforming every industry, raising complex legal and business questions that leaders can’t afford to ignore. I don’t usually get FOMO over conferences, but Goodwin’s pre-conference event at HumanX on March 9 from 2pm to 6pm in Las Vegas is one I don’t want to miss. HumanX is one of its kind and top AI conference for business leaders, and Goodwin, as an exclusive legal sponsor is kicking off the conference with the pre-conference event the legal and commercial issues that matter most to them.
HumanX stands out to me because it’s not just a developer or researcher conference – it’s designed to help decision makers navigate AI’s risks and opportunities. Goodwin’s legal experts have curated discussions on key topics, including structuring AI funding rounds, trends in GenAI licensing, legal considerations for agentic AI, evolving AI regulations and M&A strategies in the AI space.
I had a chance to sit down with Larry Chu, the co-chair of Goodwin’s Global M&A practice and partner in the firm’s Technology practice, (and a driving force behind Goodwin’s involvement in HumanX with Goodwin’s Omer Tene, Gretchen Scott, Jia Jia Huang, Kaitlin Betancourt, Kevin Liu, Jon Novotny, Beth Withers, Nate Hagler and Jud Welle) to learn more about the event and why it matters. (PS – Larry is speaking at the Goodwin HumanX panel, “Strategic M&A in AI: Structuring Deals for the Future.”)
What makes the HumanX Conference an important event for leaders in AI and law, and why is Goodwin involved as a sponsor?
HumanX is shaping up to be one of the most consequential gatherings in AI. It’s differentiation is that it’s not a developer or researcher conference but instead focused on providing actionable advice to the most pressing questions that decision makers face today in deciding how, when and where to deploy AI in their organizations (both companies and governments); and how to ensure that such AI creates the maximum benefits with the least amount of risk.
At Goodwin, we are thought leaders and strategic advisors to the most innovative companies and their investors. Much like other areas of technology, like in fintech and cybersecurity, addressing legal questions pertaining to AI thoroughly and smartly are truly foundational questions in building AI-forward companies or adopting AI at scale in the enterprise… founders and executives can’t afford to make mistakes in this arena; they will be costly. So we view ourselves as important partners in these journeys. That’s why we view our involvement in an important gathering of C-suite leaders such as HumanX to be essential.
AI is influencing every industry, including the legal sector. How is it transforming the types of matters Goodwin handles, and what trends should clients be aware of as they navigate this space?
We are seeing AI issues come up every day with our companies from data ownership and copyright issues, to how to structure partnerships and licensing deals to address issues of data access, access to compute, etc., strategy around raising capital to serve the needs of these extremely fast-scaling AI companies, to novel structures in M&A, compliance and regulatory issues with new laws being passed in various geos, organizational behavior, workflow and training issues… and the list goes on.
Our global practice, exposure to investors in all asset classes (venture, growth and PE), and vast stable of founder and company clients gives us great depth and breadth of exposure to these issues, many of which require pattern recognition over many matters to navigate deftly and swiftly. There are too many emerging trends to list here, but suffice it to say that the myriad of AI issues should be at the forefront of any founder’s mind when it comes to company building. Take for example the huge capital needs of model builders… this flows right into round construction and how to avoid dilution impact as much as possible while still capitalizing the company for its various constituents (including employees) in the most efficient way. Legal issues should be something that founders should be proactive about vs. reactive in the AI space.
HumanX offers ten tracks exploring AI’s role in industries such as financial services, policy and cybersecurity. Which of these areas are most relevant to Goodwin’s clients, and how do these topics connect to the work the firm is doing?
Goodwin is organized along industry lines and HumanX’s tracks this year align very strongly with our clients in the Technology, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Private Equity and Financial Services spaces. Of course, two that you have pointed out – Policy and Cybersecurity as it pertains to uses of AI – are important to companies operating in every space!
With AI’s rapid growth, transparency and governance have become critical topics. How is Goodwin helping clients address these ethical considerations, particularly in highly regulated industries?
We are helping clients on both sides of the developer-deployer spectrum, as well as everything in between, as most businesses not only deploy AI systems but also integrate them into their own products, becoming developers themselves. This includes putting in place policies and procedures to assess, document and mitigate all aspects of AI risk – safety first, inaccuracy, bias and discrimination, IP, privacy, cybersecurity and more. It also comprises vendor management, as AI systems are now deployed by third parties up and down the tech stack. And we help clients always stay ahead of the curve on AI contracting, in corporate transactions, licensing agreements and vendor contracts. Most importantly, we assist tech startups with product counseling and design, to ensure AI governance, privacy and security are baked into organizational processes from the get-go.
For business and industry leaders attending HumanX, what are the most important discussions they should prioritize, and how can events like this support them in navigating AI-related opportunities and risks?
Given that we are at the forefront of this massive paradigm shift, I don’t think there is one answer – this is the beauty of a gathering like HumanX – there will be important actionable insights across the conference for decision makers of all types. I would say that business and industry leaders should come to learn and digest the content, as well as come with an agenda of their most pressing questions. I hear that HumanX will actually be leveraging AI in their event app to best guide and personalize each attendee’s journey through the 300+ speakers who will be dropping knowledge at the conference! HumanX has also released a study that was done over the summer after surveying with HarrisX over 200 business leaders after AI adoption and what issues and challenges they perceive while beginning their journeys of deploying AI in their organizations. Goodwin will be digesting this also and tailoring our content to address many of these questions.
If AI is part of your work, this is a program worth checking out. Register for Goodwin’s pre-conference event at HumanX here.