AI in manufacturing and business: Key takeaways from our webinar series

The Topline

“Businesses across all sectors have been getting to grips with AI, exploring opportunities it offers in increasing productivity and streamlining their processes. Our recent webinar series, ‘AI – Getting it right’ gathered experts from across the firm to discuss a range of ways that AI is presenting new challenges and opportunities.”

– Alan Harper, Partner, Intellectual Property, Trade Marks & Designs

Introduction

In our recent webinar series “AI – Getting it right”, experts from across Walker Morris discussed several different ways that the technology is changing what organisations think and do.

The webinars covered how AI is being brought into:

1. Manufacturing processes.
2. Employment and HR practices.
3. Organisations’ policies and procedures.

Below we outline the key talking points from each of the webinars as well as provide you with a link so that you can watch the full session.

Want to know more about how to successfully bring AI into your business? We created a guide for GCs and in-house legal teams, highlighting the key issues and priorities they face. You can find this on illuminate, our dedicated GC hub, here.

IP creation and improvements

AI has already begun to have a big impact in the manufacturing space. A range of different use cases have become common. These include:

• General use within manufacturing companies to enhance productivity.
• Monitoring and tweaking manufacturing processes to minimise downtime and improve efficiency.
• The introduction of Generative AI (GenAI) in product and process design methods.

This raises a lot of interesting questions when it comes to intellectual property (IP) – as protecting and commercialising IP is at the heart of generating value in the manufacturing space.

“Recent AI models, in terms of the volume of data they’re able to learn and then output, those have been compared to the same amount of information that a 4-year-old child, is able to take in, in their life time. The key question is, would you be happy trusting your manufacturing business to a 4-year-old child?”

– Matthew Lingard, Director, Intellectual Property, Trade Marks & Designs

The webinar covered:

• A discussion exploring the issues AI is presenting in the manufacturing sector.
• How the use of AI poses a number of interesting IP queries.
• What IP is being created when it’s involved in manufacturing processes?
• Who owns the IP when AI gets involved?
• How this IP can be protected and commercialised.

Want to watch the full webinar? Click here to find it on our website.

Policies & governance

Whilst AI and its impact on business is a new area… Recent developments including: the AI Safety Summit in late-2023, The EU AI Act; and, the government’s position becoming clearer – all mean that it’s increasingly important for businesses to have a governance framework and set of policies in place. These policies would look to set out exactly how AI can (and cannot) be used within the business.

“I think the key points to take from this […]  is that it’s a machine-based system, that has some degree of autonomy. It’s capable of making inferences, so it’s capable of making decisions. Those decisions are having an impact on your environment, your virtual environment, or people.”

– Sally Mewies, Partner, Technology & Digital

Our webinar covered:

• A discussion around what “good” looks like, in an AI policy or governance framework.
• What sorts of issues do you need to think about to craft an effective AI governance framework?
• What sorts of training needs to be provided within the business?

Want to watch the full webinar? Click here to find it on our website.

People, privacy, and partners

Finally, one of the areas that AI is being brought into businesses is through its people processes.

Examples we discussed in the webinar included use in the hiring process, as well as AI systems being used in performance review. Getting people processes right is critical for all businesses, and introducing AI can add a level of risk that should be taken seriously.

“It’s important for businesses to remember that you’re ultimately responsible for the decisions that you make, including on if you relied on pre-employment software to make the decision. If that AI is fundamentally flawed and has in-built biases, you can remain liable for that discrimination before an employee enters your books. Before they’ve even stepped foot in the building, you can still be liable for discrimination.”

– Alice Ruffell, Senior Associate, Employment & Immigration

The webinar included:

• An insight into the impact that the increasing use of tech and AI will have on organisations’ workforces.
• What should be done to minimise employee relations issues linked to AI and tech advances.
• The risks around using AI to monitor performance and make decisions.
• How to guard against discriminatory AI.

Want to watch the full webinar? Click here to find it on our website.

AI – Getting it right: How we can support you

AI is here, and it’s not going away. It’s also something that is set to impact all kinds of businesses in a number of different ways. The manufacturing sector has its own set of unique challenges, and it’s important to be careful when introducing AI so that you tap into its benefits whilst minimising the risk.

Do you need support with integrating AI in your business? Contact, Alan, Sally, or Charlotte to find out how our teams can support you.

If you’re a business leader or a GC, we’ve created a guide highlighting the key issues and priorities when it comes to introducing AI into your business. Find out more about the guide and download it here.