We are integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies (“AI”) into our business operations, products and services, while continuing to explore the opportunities that AI could bring to the company. The use of AI, particularly generative AI, presents opportunities as well as risks that could negatively impact the business. The development, deployment, and use of AI, including within the life sciences industry, is still in its early stages, where the use of insufficiently developed AI technologies and premature deployment practices could result in unintended outcomes that harm the business. AI technologies may be developed using inaccurate, incomplete, flawed or biased algorithms, training methodologies or data, which could result in competitive harm, regulatory penalties, legal liability, or brand or reputational harm. Further, a failure to timely and effectively use or deploy AI and integrate it into new product offerings and services could negatively impact our competitiveness, particularly ahead of evolving industry trends and evolving consumer demands. We may be unable to devote adequate financial resources to develop or acquire new AI technologies and systems in the future.
Use of AI to improve internal business operations, or in the development or provision of products or services, poses risks and challenges. AI can pose risks from an intellectual property, confidential data leakage, data protection, privacy perspective, as well as raise ethical concerns, compliance issues, and security risks. The input of confidential information or trade secrets into AI systems may result in the loss of intellectual property, proprietary rights, or attorney-client privilege in such information or trade secrets. The use of AI technologies for developing products or services may adversely affect or preclude the company’s intellectual property rights in such products or services, or may expose the company to liability related to the infringement, misappropriation or other violation of third-party intellectual property. The use of AI technologies with personally identifiable information may also result in legal liability. Further, particularly given the nascent stage of the technology, the use of AI can lead to unintended consequences, including the generation of outputs that appear correct but are factually inaccurate, misleading, or that result in unintended biases and discriminatory outcomes, or are otherwise flawed, which could harm our reputation and business and expose us to risks related to such inaccuracies or errors in these outputs.
Moreover, AI is subject to a dynamic and rapidly evolving legal and regulatory environment, which, without appropriate review, governance and risk management, could expose the company to unforeseen legal or regulatory scrutiny and liabilities. As such, it remains uncertain how AI laws and regulations will impact our business or the associated cost or risks related to compliance therewith or with respect to embedding compliance mechanisms appropriately and effectively into our operations. The use of AI may be subject to new legal or regulatory requirements, the impact of which may be prohibitive or pose further risks from a legal or regulatory action perspective.