China's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), referred to as e-CNY or the digital yuan, has found limited adoption among the masses since its launch in 2019, despite significant efforts by the Chinese government to promote its use. A substantial portion of the Chinese population uses mobile-based payments and favours existing payment applications for their transactions. The widespread use of these platforms creates a disincentive for both consumers and merchants to switch to a new digital currency, due to an absence of additional benefits. Concerns about heightened surveillance by the Chinese government have further compounded resistance to adoption. The China example serves as a pertinent case study for the upcoming launch of India’s digital currency, the e-Rupee. With comparable levels of digital payment adoption, the Chinese CBDC pilot highlights the importance of assessing consumer preferences and motivations, before introducing a new technology.

The German Federal Court recently clarified that the waiver of the right to attribution is permitted as long as the author is not unduly disadvantaged. This blog examines the status of the waiver of moral rights like the right to attribution under Indian copyright law. It discusses the purpose and nature of moral rights and why waiver might be required for commercially exploiting copyrighted works. The blog argues that there is a necessity for a statutory provision that explicitly permits the waiver of moral rights while also restricting blanket or unwritten waivers in order to balance the rights of authors as well as copyright owners or licensees.

This blog delves into the legal battle between the New York Times (NYT) and OpenAI, likening it to the longstanding stand-off between legacy media and big tech. It suggests that the lawsuit is less about copyright infringement and more a reflection of the NYT's inability to keep pace with technological advancements like AI, paralleling the struggle traditional media faced with the rise of digital platforms. The blog critically examines the NYT's approach to innovation and adaptation, questioning its choice to litigate in the face of rapidly evolving tech landscapes and the inevitable progress of generative AI. It also questions the tenability of some of the NYTs more normative contentions given that it is, at the end of the day, also a business and had years to keep AI companies from scraping its data, but only chose to act after the latter were able to successfully monetise.

Binance and its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, recently pleaded guilty to multiple counts of money laundering, sanctions evasion, and operating an unregistered money service business in the United States. These developments shed light on the risks posed by unregistered offshore virtual asset exchanges, specifically a lack of oversight for money laundering and consumer protection.

Generative AI models, such as ChatGPT, have an English language bias due to the disproportionate prevalence of English content on the internet. This bias can negatively impact non-native English speakers, limit cultural diversity and innovation, and potentially lead to misinformation. Addressing this bias requires more data, time, and computational power, which can be costly. However, some start-ups are trying to address the issue of language bias from an accessibility standpoint. While individual initiatives are commendable, mitigating the English language bias requires a collective industry response to prevent AI-induced discrimination against non-English speakers.

This blog discusses the Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill, that was recently introduced in the House of Lords. The Bill proposes statutory guidelines for AI governance and establishes a central oversight Authority. The article discusses how the Bill requires businesses using AI to appoint designated AI Officers, raising concerns regarding the compliance burden. It also emphasises how the Bill needs to provide details on the proportional implementation of restrictions on AI, based on the evaluation of risks and benefits.

This blog considers the interplay of AI and corporate governance, focusing on recent leadership changes at OpenAI and the broader implications for corporate boards, especially in India. It emphasizes the importance of knowledgeable and proactive governance in the context of AI's ethical and societal impacts.