Getting to yes: What you need to greenlight AI tools at your company
27 Nov 2023 (12 months ago)
Introduction (0s)
- Shelley McKinley is introduced.
Panel Discussion on AI and Software Development (19s)
- Shelley McKinley from GitHub discusses AI's transformative impact, highlighting GitHub Copilot and its role in democratizing software development.
- AI is acknowledged for simplifying tasks, enhancing productivity, and spurring creativity.
AI's Role in Democratizing Development and Legal Considerations (1m51s)
- McKinley emphasizes the importance of AI in addressing accessibility and sustainability challenges.
- Legal compliance review is crucial for the responsible use of AI, particularly given concerns around intellectual property and regulation.
Evolution of Open Source and AI in Development (3m22s)
- McKinley draws parallels between the rise of open source and AI, noting a cultural shift in enterprise adoption.
- 92% of US-based developers are using AI, signifying widespread adoption.
- Heather Meeker highlights similarities between open source and AI in their organic growth within organizations.
- Jen Peck of Redfin discusses the cultural approach that enabled the adoption of AI tools for their developers.
Adopting AI in Enterprises (6m37s)
- Meeker recounts early resistance to open source before its eventual acceptance.
- She advises managing risks intelligently rather than completely avoiding AI.
- Legal uncertainties, such as copyright and privacy, cause hesitancy in AI adoption, akin to open source's early days.
- Peck reflects on Redfin's decision to adopt GitHub Copilot, opting not to let fear inhibit their progress.
Addressing Legal and Copyright Issues in AI (9m25s)
- Peck and Meeker assert that AI adoption should not be hindered by legal uncertainties, as employees may use such tools regardless of official stances.
- They argue that the benefits of AI, particularly in productivity, outweigh the potential legal risks.
- Meeker suggests that legal fears should not drive product development decisions, and organizations should be proactive in navigating compliance issues.
AI Regulation and the Future of Technology (12m12s)
- Generative AI tools raise copyright concerns, as outputs may be similar to copyrighted inputs they were trained on.
- Training an AI model and generating output can be done without copyright infringement if trained properly.
- Companies must ensure they have the rights to use the inputs for training.
- Large machine learning models tend to come from companies with access to vast data like GitHub.
- It's advised to only buy from reputable developers to avoid copyright risks from web scraping.
- Users must avoid instructing AI models to copy specific inputs; instead, they should request new creations.
- Ongoing industry shifts show model vendors starting to take legal responsibility, with copyright indemnities as an example.
- GitHub was one of the first to offer copyright indemnity for Copilot.
- Engage legal and security teams early in a project to avoid last-minute issues.
- Developers should become experts in new tools and convey technical details in business terms.
- Solid engagement with legal teams can build internal reputation and facilitate future projects.
- Understanding the technical details of products, including security risks, is essential.
- GitHub has created a Copilot Trust Center to address legal and security concerns for customers.
- AI and developer tools are being adopted at a faster rate than regulation can keep up with.