Valz Legal, Inc.

At Iprova, we're pioneering the use of agentic systems for specific forms of invention. These systems promise to autonomously fulfil a variety of tasks based on high-level user requests, interacting with a range of services, applications, and objects, including other AI agents. That's why it's great to see this article co-authored by Duane Valz and Shrut Kirti on the creation of common standards, which we regard as an important enabler for the future of agentic systems. Follow the link to read the article https://lnkd.in/etd4iFWE #AIInvention #IP

AI agents will revolutionize productivity, but without common standards, their true potential may be stifled. At the 2024 TED Conference, Vinod Khosla predicted that most Internet activity in the future will stem from AI agents doing work on our behalf. While today’s generative AI platforms create useful content and provide knowledge and guidance on a broad array of topics, they typically do so in a direct, prompt-by-prompt relationship with each of their users. Agentic systems promise additional capabilities, namely, autonomously fulfilling a variety of tasks based on high level user requests, and interacting with a range of services, applications and objects in order to do so, including other AI agents. There seems to be little doubt that agentic systems, if the vision for them is fulfilled, will have a tremendous impact on our productivity and that they will generate commercial value. AI agents heighten the case for having common protocols and standards-driven technologies to support interoperability, efficient product development, a common set of expectations among users of AI agents, and consensus-based approaches to safety and legal/regulatory compliance. Drawing parallels from the early days of the Internet where content on different Internet browsers rendered differently in the absence of standards, maximizing the value of agentic systems will require interoperability through standards. The topic of developing common industry-wide standards for deployment of AI products and services to the public has received high level attention since ChatGPT was introduced in November 2022. Yet, beyond acknowledging the utility of such standards and how they might address known issues in AI model performance and safety, little has been done to either propose specific technology areas for standards development or to actually develop such standards. This article, co-authored with Duane Valz, examines specific AI features and functionality that lend themselves to standards-based technology, providing examples of opportunities that might well be addressed using industry consensus approaches. The article additionally looks at existing standards bodies and de novo AI standardization efforts, ultimately identifying opportunity gaps for supporting the successful development of agentic AI systems. Article link in comments.

We are excited to announce that Duane Valz, with his extensive experience in managing legal and IP challenges for Bay Area companies like Yahoo! and Google, will moderate our upcoming webinar. Duane will lead the discussion and Q&A session. What You’ll Learn:  In this session, experts from Procter & Gamble, Deloitte, Kingfisher Labs, and Iprova will discuss the real-world results achieved through the latest generation of digital technologies to invention creation. They will explore the organisational impact and possible future evolution of these technologies. Meet the Speakers: Julian Nolan, CEO of Iprova, will open the session by explaining the data and science behind the art of invention. Paul Sagel, Vice President and Appointed Research Fellow at Procter & Gamble, will provide insights on his experience with data-driven invention and broader perspectives on innovation. Maaike Van Velzen, Partner – Intangibles, Data, & Tech Law at Deloitte, will discuss the impact of AI and invention on organisations and explore the regulatory context of AI by presenting two possible scenarios. Catherine Breslin, AI Scientist and Founder of Kingfisher Labs, will cover enabling technologies and possible future advancements in AI and their potential effects on invention and the IP ecosystem. Event Details:  Date: Wednesday, 20th November 2024 Time: 3:00 pm (GMT), 4:00 pm (CET), 10:00 am (EST) Duration: 60 minutes Location: Online (link will be provided upon registration) Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from industry leaders on the future of AI-assisted invention. Register now https://lnkd.in/enEcBF3b!

Berkeley Law is pleased to announce the summer 2025 course schedule for the first-ever AI-focused Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program! Designed for working professionals in consultation with an advisory group of industry leaders at the frontiers of AI, the program can be completed over a calendar year with part-time online coursework and one full-time summer in Berkeley, or over two consecutive summer semesters in residence. The program attracts lawyers from over 40 countries, including those with a J.D. from the United States. Course highlights include: Law and Governance of Artificial Intelligence, taught by Colleen Chien; Fundamentals of AI Technology, taught by Brandie Nonnecke, PhD; Global Regulation of AI, taught by Lothar Determann; Information Privacy Law, taught by Erik Stallman; Making AI Work for the People, taught by Nicole Ozer; and Cybersecurity in Context: Technology, Policy, and Law, taught by Chris Hoofnagle. Press release: https://lnkd.in/gCKYcmKU Thanks again to our advisory group of industry leaders, including: - Wei Chen, Chief Legal Officer, EVP, Government Affairs, Infoblox - Jennifer Dumas, General Counsel, Allen Institute for AI - Beth George, Partner, Freshfields - Brian Israel, General Counsel, Anthropic - Miriam Kim, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson - Josh Lee Kok Thong, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Future of Privacy Forum - Irene Liu, Executive in Residence, Berkeley Law and AI Advisor to California State Senate - Nicole Ozer, Technology and Civil Liberties Director, ACLU of Northern California - Karen Silverman, CEO and Founder, Cantellus Group - Dumitru Sliusarenco, Senior Case & Policy Officer, Meta Oversight Board - Hanna Steinbach, EVP, Chief Legal Officer & Company Secretary, Medallia - Duane Valz, Founder, Valz Legal - Nikki Vo, Director and Associate General Counsel, Meta - Jon Zieger, Co-Founder and Director of Responsible Innovation Labs

It's brilliant to have the opportunity to work with Duane Valz in scaling Iprova's business in the Bay Area - all the more so as he has himself been an Iprova customer in a previous in house role.

Happy to once again deliver a guest lecture on AI Licensing to University of California, Berkeley - School of Law students. Thanks so much Colleen Chien for the opportunity!

We're proud to announce the Atticus Fellowship, a half-tuition scholarship for LL.M. executive track students specializing in AI Law and Regulation at Berkeley Law. Created by The Atticus Project, the fellowship will be awarded to two outstanding students each year who are ready to shape the future of AI law. For more information about eligibility, application deadlines, and details about the program, visit our LL.M. Scholarships page.  https://lnkd.in/gi_cK6ZW The curriculum for the AI Law and Regulation certificate was designed in consultation with an advisory group of industry leaders including Wei Chen, Jennifer Dumas, Beth George, Brian Israel, Miriam Kim, Josh Lee Kok Thong, Irene Liu, Nicole Ozer, Karen Silverman, Dumitru Sliusarenco, Hanna Steinbach, Duane Valz, Nikki Vo, Jon Zieger. For more information, see our recent announcement about the AI-focused Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree: Berkeley Law Unveils Groundbreaking AI-Focused Law Degree Program. https://lnkd.in/gCDi7bua And for more about how our faculty, students, research centers, and executive and Continuing Legal Education platforms (including Berkeley Center for Law & Technology (BCLT) and Berkeley Law Executive Education) are meeting the challenges of AI head on across the legal landscape, read "Deep Learning: How Berkeley Law Scholars and Programs Are at the Forefront on AI" https://lnkd.in/dbGQrPKv Take your first step toward becoming a leader in AI law! #AILaw #BerkeleyLaw #LLM #Scholarships #FutureLeaders #BerkeleyLawLeads

Venting for a second (this is a safe space, right?) I have worked diligently (though imperfectly) to Do The Right Thing at Tidelift on security and privacy, on a relatively tight budget. So it is *infuriating* to read the security and privacy policies of an AI unicorn that has raised centi-millions—and is raising all sorts of red flags. Their SOC compliance is a mess. Their privacy policy and marketing material conflict on the single most basic question anyone asks of AI companies: "we definitely won't use this data" (marketing) v. "hell yes we're using all your data" (privacy policy). So on, and so forth. I'm still enough of a Boy Scout that I don't regret doing compliance work. But I'm also enough of a Boy Scout that I'm pretty mad at all the systems that are failing here.

I'm extremely excited to share that University of California, Berkeley - School of Law has developed a groundbreaking AI focused law degree program! https://lnkd.in/g99y9BFK Designed for both international legal practitioners and U.S. attorneys, the new program can be completed over two summers (starting next summer) on campus or through remote study combined with one summer on campus. New curriculum being developed for the program include courses on AI ethics, AI technology, AI regulation, AI for good, trust and safety, antitrust and emerging technologies, AI licensing, and more! The curriculum for the program is being designed in consultation with our incredible advisory group of AI industry experts and leaders: Wei Chen, Chief Legal Officer, EVP, Government Affairs, Infoblox Jennifer Dumas, General Counsel, Allen Institute for AI Beth George, Partner, Freshfields Brian Israel, General Counsel, Anthropic Miriam Kim, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson Josh Lee Kok Thong, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Future of Privacy Forum Irene Liu, Executive in Residence, Berkeley Law and AI Advisor to California State Senate Nicole Ozer, Technology and Civil Liberties Director, ACLU of Northern California Karen Silverman, CEO and Founder, Cantellus Group Dumitru Sliusarenco, Senior Case & Policy Officer, Meta Oversight Board Hanna Steinbach, General Counsel, Harness Duane Valz, Founder, Valz Legal Nikki Vo, Director and Associate General Counsel, Meta Jon Zieger, Co-Founder and Director of Responsible Innovation Labs Let me know if you'd like to learn more! And if you don't have the time to commit to a new degree (even one designed for working professionals), check out Berkeley Law Executive Education's three day AI Institute program (September 25-27, 2024) -- https://lnkd.in/gf3h4gEs

Registration is now open for the 7th annual Berkeley Law AI Institute! https://lnkd.in/gB8_CXV6 Berkeley Law Executive Education is offering an early-bird rate through August 2, 2024. Special rates are also available for livestream attendees, alumni, non-attorneys, non-profit/government employees, judges, and junior attorneys. What can you expect at the AI Institute? On day one, U.C. Berkeley rock star engineering professor Ken Goldberg will kick things off with a special lecture on the state of AI in 2024. Then Brandie Nonnecke, PhD will oversee a two-part session on the fundamentals of AI technology and governance. Next, we'll have a panel of VCs, including Cathy Gao and Karol Niewiadomski, survey the AI business and investing landscape. Then Dan Hendrycks will present on the most signficant risks and responsibilities surrounding AI implementation. On day two, Berkeley Law professor Colleen Chien, together with Karen Silverman and Irene Liu, will provide an overview, and deep dive, on the most pressing topics related to AI law, policy, and regulation. They'll be joined by Benjamin Wiseman of the FTC, Mike Mikawa of the DOJ, Tessa Schwartz, and others. We'll then be joined by Halimah DeLaine Prado of Google (and later, leaders from Cisco and SoftBank) to explore case studies on how legal departments are addressing AI. Next, we'll examine how law firms are using AI for practice innovation. We'll end the day with a presentation by Katie Gardner on best practices around commercial contracts and AI. On day three, we'll be joined by FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel to explore how regulators are thinking about AI. Then we'll have a special session with Gerard de Graaf of the EU and Irene Liu on best practices for developing, regulating, and complying with AI policy. Next, we'll have a "show and tell" with leading U.C. Berkeley inventors, like Ritwik Gupta, sharing their AI innovations. Then Juan M. Lavista Ferres and Jonathan (Jon) Palmer of Microsoft will join us to discuss AI for good. And we'll close the program out with Kevin Roose sharing the AI stories to follow in 2025. Thank you everyone that has made this program a possibility, including our platinum sponsors SoftBank and Morrison Foerster and our sponsors Gunderson Dettmer and Cisco.