DLA Piper joins with Duke, Mayo Clinic, UC Berkeley to launch innovative AI collaboration

DLA Piper has joined with the Duke Institute for Health Innovation, the Mayo Clinic and UC Berkeley, among others, to launch an innovative collaboration designed to build an understanding of the AI software market and allow for its safe and responsible deployment, including of machine learning algorithms.

The collaboration aims to establish a guideline and rubric for applying this technology and offers a way to manage, oversee and develop new and existing applications of machine learning and AI in healthcare.

“The machine learning and AI world can feel a bit like the wild west. There's not much regulation but there is a lot of interest, coverage and activity from regulators, providers, and patients alike,” said Danny Tobey, partner at DLA Piper who represents life sciences, technology and healthcare clients in a variety of regulatory and litigation matters. “We’re proud to be the only law firm to join this esteemed group and look forward to working together to create an environment in which the creation and implementation of responsible AI software is an industry standard.”

DLA Piper’s global Artificial Intelligence practice sits at the intersection of law, technology, and science, helping organizations understand the legal and compliance risks arising from the creation and deployment of emerging and disruptive technologies, and assists businesses in their government affairs strategies. The group spans the globe, with particular depth in the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Asia. 

DLA Piper’s lawyers have been at the forefront of this evolving field. Tobey is a medical doctor and successful software entrepreneur who represents leading pharmaceutical and device companies on AI adoption. He assisted the American Medical Association with its AI liability policy and serves on the Executive Committee of the United Nations’ ‘AI For Good’ legal committee, which is chaired by DLA Piper partner John Gibson. Tony Samp, a senior policy advisor at the firm, was founding director of the US Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus and principal author of the US$2.2 billion Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act (AI-IA). Geoffrey Levitt, co-chair of DLA Piper’s Life Sciences Policy and Regulatory practice, previously served as global head of regulatory at Pfizer and Wyeth, and frequently advises on the FDA’s AI standards. Rep. Jim Greenwood, co-chair of the firm’s Life Sciences Policy and Regulatory practice, serves on the Bipartisan Commission of Biodefense, which is co-chaired by Tom Ridge and Joe Lieberman and has a recent focus on emerging bio-cybersecurity threats.