Category:Compliance Spotlight
The Rise of AI: Why Congress Must Regulate Artificial Intelligence Before it is too Late
In November of last year, Open AI launched ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that engages users with dialogue to answer questions, write responses to prompts, and interacts with the user. Google quickly responded to the technological advancement by creating their own version of a chatbot called Bard that Google claims will draw “on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality response.” AI has quickly embedded itself into most everyday activities. Additionally, in light of recent mass layoffs, experts predict that AI could displace tens of millions of jobs in the United States in the coming years. And with new chatbots run by AI, AIs have gone from simply replacing people to assisting people with tasks. As with all emerging technology, the general public may worry about regulating something that can be so intrusive and yet powerful and helpful to society. With the unsurmountable amount of knowledge provided by AI in seconds, it is necessary that Congress catch up to the emerging technology and create regulations for AI that can respect intellectual property and copyright laws and eradicate how AI adds to racial and gender disparities in the United States.
Department of Education Reinforces Protections Under Title IX
It has been more than 100 days since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In the wake of this decision, on October 4, the Biden administration reinforced guidelines regarding legal protections related to abortion and pregnancy under Title IX.
OFAC Publishes New Guidelines Regarding the Russia Investment Ban
On June 6, 2022, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released new and revised guidelines regarding the Russian investment ban established by Executive Orders 14071, 14066, and 14068. As a result of the executive orders, sanctions can be imposed on individuals or entities determined to have operated in the accounting, trust and corporate formation services, or management consulting sectors of the Russian Federation economy. OFAC has consistently been updating and revising the guidelines to keep the guidelines as clear and consistent as possible, in an attempt to keep Americans doing business in Russia out of legal trouble.
Fan Tokens: What to Know About the Emerging Blockchain Technology
While a new category of digital assets has become mainstream in Europe, regulatory concerns in the U.S. have largely kept American sports enthusiasts out of the market for now. These new digital assets are referred to as “fan tokens”, a blockchain-based technology that allows teams to enhance their fan engagement.
Dua Lipa is Under Copyright Fire
Singer and songwriter, Dua Lipa has come under two copyright infringement lawsuits over the past month. Both lawsuits allege the pop star’s hit song “Levitating” infringed upon copyrighted work. While the two suits allege infringement against the same song, their outcomes may differ based on the allegation brought forth in each complaint.
Compliance Spotlight: William Hanning, CISSP, CISO
William Hanning is a Chief Information Security Officer with Groups360 and close to twenty years of Information Security experience. Mr. Hanning has built and managed security programs in multiple industries in organizations of varying sizes, as well as within Fortune 100 companies. Here, he gives insight about the separation between data privacy and cybersecurity, the role of information security teams, and how cybersecurity relates to and supports the work of legal and compliance departments.
Working From Home and Its Data Security Implications
Remote work was something once looked at as a gift, a day to work at home in your sweatpants on your couch. But now, some are stuck working from home until further notice or maybe even until they retire. This new method of work has made it much harder for businesses to keep the information of their workers and customers safe despite additional avenues of technology being used to work from home. An average employee may never think about the challenges associated with data security, but it is important to shed some light on this subject so that more people understand its importance. It is also important to understand why the lack of data security laws in the US could be so detrimental to any company doing work here. Company and consumer information is more vulnerable than ever with people working from home all over the country and without comprehensive data security regulations in the US, there is no end in sight.
The Biggest Upset of March Madness: Unequal Accommodations
A major upset took place on first day of the very much anticipated 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) Division 1 Basketball Tournaments, and I am not referring to any of the games that took place on that day. In the evening of March 18th, University of Oregon Forward Sedona Prince took to social media to expose the evident discrepancies between the weight room facilities for the men’s and women’s tournament facilities. To prevent a coronavirus outbreak, each of the tournaments are taking place in a bubble funded by the NCAA. The video Prince posted showed the women’s tournament weight room which consisted of a single set of dumbbells, then showed the men’s tournament weight room that was supplied with various training equipment. Not only were there massive disparities between the weight rooms for the men’s and women’s tournaments, but there is also a clear and substantial difference in the “swag bags” given to each student athlete participating in the tournament from the NCAA. As well as the quality of food provided to the female student athletes who are competing in the tournament.
Amateur Athletics Governance: Tumbling Over Misconduct Reporting
Congress has enhanced government oversight of amateur sports in response to numerous allegations in recent years targeting amateur sports governing bodies’ failures to address physical and mental misconduct. New legislation is expected to make significant reforms by requiring training, reporting, and a new system to manage allegations of of sexual abuse, among other changes.
Compliance Spotlight: Lucas Nelson, Medpharm
Lucas Nelson is the General Manager at Medpharm. Medpharm is a vertically integrated cannabis operator based out of Des Moines, Iowa. Medpharm holds two of Iowa’s five dispensary licenses and is the only licensed cultivator. They are one of only two dispensaries currently operating in the state. Mr. Nelson holds a Juris Doctor from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from James Madison University.