How Supreme Court's Section 230 decision could impact AI-powered search engines like Google Bard and Microsoft Bing

• The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in Gonzalez v. Google, next week to decide whether YouTube can be sued for hosting accounts of foreign terrorists. The bigger question is whether algorithmic recommendations should receive full legal protection under Section 230, which poses questions for AI search.

• The Court will weigh whether the liability shield covers algorithmic recommendations of user content, which could reshape the internet and affect the legal responsibility of platforms for content on their systems.

• AI-powered search engines are the future of search but can introduce inaccuracies and errors, meaning there is a risk of lawsuits for spreading defamatory information or unlawful speech.

• If Section 230 remains unchanged, future cases will depend on whether AI search engines repeated someone else's unlawful speech or produced their own. Microsoft's Bing CEO Satya Nadella suggested AI-powered Bing faces the same legal issues as vanilla Bing.

• Gonzalez could make AI search risky even if engines are just giving an accurate summary of somebody else's statement. The case is the first time in 27 years that the Supreme Court has interpreted Section 230, which could lead to harder limits on the legislation, and potentially force courts to decide how much summarizing is too much for Section 230.

• Courts could end up having to decide how much summarizing is too much for Section 230, and their decision could be coloured by the political and cultural climate, not just the letter of the law.

Allen & Overy rolls out AI tool "Harvey" across 43 offices to assist lawyers with research and contract analysis

• Law firm Allen & Overy has introduced an AI tool called Harvey, developed with OpenAI's ChatGPT technology.

• The tool is intended to assist the firm's lawyers with research and contract analysis.

• Harvey has been trialled since November and will now be rolled out to more than 3,500 lawyers across 43 offices.

• The tool is capable of working in multiple languages and across diverse practice areas, offering unprecedented efficiency and intelligence.

• The firm expects the tool to give it a competitive edge over its competitors, and plans to present it to clients in the near future.

US Patent Office seeks input on AI inventorship as technology plays larger role in innovation

• The US Patent and Trademark Office is seeking input to clarify patent protection for inventions created with artificial intelligence.

• The PTO's request comes as AI plays an increasing role in innovation, and ongoing litigation continues to challenge who is entitled to intellectual property rights.

• The PTO is seeking data and facts on the existing patent system, but attorneys believe there is enough wiggle room to permit the use of AI as a tool for applications listing human inventors.

• The Federal Circuit has affirmed that inventors and authors must be human, but the PTO's request for comments indicates that it may be reconsidering its stance.

• Patenting AI-assisted inventions won't be the end of the story as it could create complications for human inventors and may necessitate broader changes.