We are increasingly using AI tools as part of our business, including internally developed machine learning tools and large language models provided by third parties. For example, we use or are seeking to use AI tools to enhance research and development, manufacturing, installation, and servicing of our products, services delivery, supply chain management, sales and marketing, and compliance activities. We are also pursuing additional opportunities to incorporate AI tools, including agentic AI, into our business, including our products and services, and we expect this trend to continue. There are significant risks involved in developing and deploying AI, and there can be no assurance that our usage of AI will enhance our business, products or services, including our productivity, operational efficiency, effectiveness, or profitability. For example, if the AI tools we utilize are flawed or fail to execute properly, our ability to deliver our products and services to our customers may be adversely impacted. In addition, our competitors may incorporate AI tools into their products or operational processes more quickly or more successfully than us, which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, reputation and results of operations.
The intellectual property rights, including patent and copyright rights, associated with artificial intelligence have not been fully addressed by U.S. and foreign courts, and there remains uncertainty and ongoing litigation in different jurisdictions as to the degree and extent of protection warranted for artificial intelligence-generated technologies and relevant system inputs and outputs. The courts and regulators have not clearly defined the scope for artificial intelligence-generated content, algorithms or trained models. If we fail to secure or maintain protection for the intellectual property rights concerning technologies developed using artificial intelligence, or later have our intellectual property rights invalidated or otherwise diminished, our competitors may be able to take advantage of our research and development efforts to develop competing products, which could adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations, or financial condition.
Our use or future adoption of artificial intelligence in our business, which may include tools developed by third parties, could expose us to breach of a data or software license, website terms of service claims, claimed violations of privacy rights or other tort claims. Further, although we have taken measures to prohibit such use, our employees’ use of third-party or publicly available artificial intelligence or other software tools may inadvertently result in the disclosure of our intellectual property, proprietary information or other sensitive or confidential data into the public domain, which could expose us to legal liability, diminish the value of our intellectual property, weaken our competitive position and harm our reputation.