Milbank LLP Litigation & Arbitration partner Fiona Schaeffer was featured on the ABA Antitrust Law Section podcast Our Curious Amalgam, where she discussed two themes she pursued during her term as Section Chair of the ABA Antitrust Law Section: the antitrust implications of businesses using artificial intelligence (AI) and business collaborations to combat climate change.
On the topic of AI, Ms. Schaeffer discussed the Section’s creation of a task force that partnered with the larger American Bar Association to develop AI policies and initiatives for the entire profession. She also shared takeaways from the past years’ work, noting, “There is a general consensus that there is a need for regulation, but no real consensus on how to regulate. Some jurisdictions want a light touch, and the UK is probably at that end of the spectrum. Europe is more prescriptive in its approach. But a lot of questions still need to be debated about how we harness the power of AI for the benefit of humanity, while mitigating risks to us as consumers and workers.”
Ms. Schaeffer also discussed the role of antitrust in sustainability initiatives. She is hopeful that the Antitrust Guidelines for Collaborations Among Competitors, published by the federal antitrust agencies in 2000, will be updated to address modern day issues of business collaborations involving climate change and global supply chain viability. “We need collaboration on a larger scale than we’ve seen before,” she said, “and that collaboration requires governments and the business community getting together to achieve the goals of reducing carbon emissions and navigating climate change.”
Listen to “How Should Competition Law Be Dealing With AI and Climate Change?”
