Author: Ryan E. Long

Deepfakes are all over. From images to speech, it’s hard to avoid these digital counterfeits. They can make it look like you are in a desert — even when you aren’t. This problem has appeared in scientific publishing, where fake papers are proliferating. But what is your company’s liability for unknowingly incorporating such content? What are some ways to navigate this new digital mountainous range?

Recently, in an article penned for The National CIO Review, this issue is delved into. Do you have a CIO? Then what is her or his liability to the company for deep fake use? Does Mr. Elon Musk your have legal recourse if a fake version of his voice suddenly appears in your video game or image seeps into your news story?

Cookies. They aren’t only the things you eat after lunch. They are also electronic means to track visitors to your website. A good definition is here. There are various types — including ones that stick to your web surfing activities known as “persistent” cookies.

Why does this matter? Cookies used by your website can violate state and federal privacy laws. Recently, for instance, a judge permitted a class action lawsuit against CNN to proceed for using cookies — even though the company had a pop-up banner. 

So the contours of these legalities are quite tricky. Due care should be taken in your cookie strategy — especially as your business scales into different states, particularly California, where the California Invasion of Privacy Act can get your business fined or worse.

Software has become a part of our daily lives. Some of you may have invested in software companies — or even social media like Meta. But can software companies be liable for the health issues that afflict their users? It’s a relevant question whether you use social media or invest in it. So having some foresight into these legal issues is invaluable to avoid legal quicksand.

New York City recently sued Meta, among others, in California. There is an article I penned for the U.K. based Society for Computers & Law that delves into the case. In short, N.Y.C. is seeking to hold companies like Meta liable for the negative health affects that the city alleges afflict its residents. Where the lawsuit ends up will have ramifications for the AI marketplace among other technologies.

As we start the year, I thought it would be good to raise for your attention this question: is your business content strategy helped by your technologies — or is it hindered? Food for thought during your next company outing.

Think about this. Former Google CEO, Mr. Eric Schmidt, co-authored the book “The Age of AI,” which is about the the benefits — and costs — of AI. The book has received a lot of favorable press by the likes of the Wall Street Journal.

What if Mr. Schmidt wrote the whole book using ChatGPT? And consider if the technology used data — writings — from your company’s stash of information about AI? This raises copyright considerations. What is more, there is a slew of marketing material out there where you can get reviews of your content artificially, as related in this FTC warning.

So when you are thinking about using a bright shiny technology to prepare your content, due care should be taken in 2025. Outsourcing — automating — content making is something that is quite popular. 

But there remain legal issues to consider.

In the meantime, please reach out to me with any legal questions within my expertise. My office is here to navigate your business through this thicket of tech legalities.

Your consumer data — how does Walmart use it? From your computer’s location to your buying habits, the commercial behemoth stores this information. Walmart isn’t alone — others you buy from on and offline use your data for predictive analytics.

How can you use consumer data to help with the growth of your business?

Find out more. Please click here for an interview I did of Mr. Abuchi Okeke, a software engineer from Walmart. It’s part of a series I launched with the AI Accelerator Institute — titled “AI Keyhole” — about AI evolution, applications, and policy.

From retail to social media, artificial intelligence (“AI”) is increasingly being used to supplement — or substitute — human decision making.

But how much are pre-revenue AI companies worth?

Whether you are investing in this market or seeking to scale your company that uses AI technology, the question is relevant. Please click here to read a recent article I wrote for TechCrunch on the subject.

Trademarks have gotten some press. Recently, The Wall Street Journal ran an article about a dispute between Italian restaurant owners in Dallas over the word “Carbone’s” for their respective outposts.

What happens when one owner registers the mark before others?

Whether you own your own business or invest in a market, naming is important — and costly. If you launch a brand and invest in its goodwill without knowing the trademark landscape, your business can be sued and stopped.

Find out more in this article I wrote for the National Federation of Independent Business.