A conference about technology and law hosted by IEU students

Last Thursday the IEU Law Society hosted a conference about… the future! A wonderful panel of top experts in the field joined to discuss how developments in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, blockchain, legal tech and data protection are going to affect the future of companies and workers.

The conference was possible thanks to the initiative of Luis Moyano, a dual degree in Laws and Business Administration student who approached the IEU Law Society with the idea of hosting an event on law and technology. Luis contacted Helena Suárez, a professor at IEU and partner at Dutilh Abogados, who contacted IEULS with María Suárez, also partner at that law firm. We are proud to see how collaboration between law students and professors keeps being a source of fantastic initiatives and conferences!

María Suárez acted as moderator of the one-hour-and-a-half conference and introduced some of the developments that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing. Then, the panelists had the floor:

Luis Moreno Ortí, Head of Innovation at Havas Media, explained how much work AI will take from companies. He provided the attendees' shocking data that proves the change that is on its way: for instance, estimates point out that five million jobs will be destroyed in the leading economies in the next five years. The “silver lining” is that 60 percent of the working positions in the next 20 years do not exist yet.

“60% of the working positions in the next 20 years does not exist yet”, assured Luis Moreno Ortí, Head of Innovation at Havas Media

Alejandro Sánchez del Campo Redonet addressed the challenges for the legal sector and discussed the possible regulation of AI, of which Elon Musk is a great supporter – he said. Mr. Sánchez del Campo went over a series of examples that illustrate how legal tech will be taking over the tasks of lawyers in a more efficient way, and at a lower cost. “This chatbox is doing the tasks of a lawyer for free”, said Alejandro Sánchez del Campo Redonet during his presentation.

María José Talavera Carmona, Senior Regional Director Iberia at VMware, also commented on whether robots will take or not our jobs and then moved on to explain what cloud computing is and the potential it has. She summarised it as a model to provide services with a more flexible cost model and discussed the security of the public cloud, making a clear distinction between security and legislation.

“You will have a cyber attack. The important thing is how you minimize its effects”, said María José Talavera Carmona, Senior Regional Director Iberia at VMware.

Cristina Sirera, IT/IP lawyer specialized in Data Protection and Compliance intervened to explain the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implemented across the European Union and how it strengthens our rights and provides effective solutions for people who suffer privacy rights infringement. She commented on the landmark cases “The Right to Be Forgotten” and the Facebook case started by Max Schrems, to highlight that the changes in the world of privacy and security will come from individuals.  “If we have cloud, we need data, and for that, we need security”, concluded Cristina Sirera.

On an ending note, Rafael García del Poyo, partner at Osborne Clarke, explained what blockchain is and discussed the potential it has to change our lives. He also addressed one of the main uses of blockchain: bitcoins, the digital currency and said: “Blockchain may change our lives. Why? […] We are witnessing the end of companies as we know them”.

A Q&A session followed before bringing the conference to an end. Students were very happy with the quality of the speakers’ interventions and the speakers were delighted to have such a motivated audience, interested in the changes, the challenges, and the future of law.

The IEU Law Society is a community of students (both law and non-law), professors, lawyers and any other people interested in the law, that gathers together during events with the vision to bring the law into practice in a fun and real-life way. Some examples are networking events, career sessions, specialized seminars, mock trials...

Written by: Gracia Pujadas Morales

Photos: Elena Recla, Märit Thomasdotter, Bárbara Gómez and Gracia Pujadas from the IEU Law Society