General Counsel Role & AI

Stefano Diego Oliva, Functional Governance & Program Management - Presidio Normativo Country General Counsel, Generali, Italy

In a historical phase characterized by important and rapid changes, it’s essential that companies make decisions quickly and consciously within an increasingly complex and continually evolving regulatory framework. In this context, the General Counsel is called to face increasingly complex challenges and new responsibilities that require not only a deep knowledge of business regulations and strategies but also of new technological trends, carefully considering and evaluating risks and opportunities. One of the issues that the General Counsel has to face is the Artificial Intelligence which represents one of the most relevant challenges of our time, which requires companies to make an important paradigm shift in the structuring of governance, especially relating to choices regarding data and algorithm management. The ongoing transformation requires specific skills to be managed, upskilling programs and, even before that, a strong commitment on awareness; having a clear strategy for the development and governance of AI is an urgent need. In the AI era, the figure of the General Counsel stands out with renewed importance, becoming a key partner in the definition of corporate strategies in order to support companies through a proactive interpretation of rules to ensure a responsible, aware and ethical use of this technology.