Professor Andres Sawicki has been awarded a competitive grant from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. The funding supports his critical research project, "Competitive Implications of Generative AI Terms & Conditions: An Empirical Study."
Sawicki's groundbreaking work, co-authored with Professor John Newman of the University of Memphis, represents the first large-scale effort to systematically document how firms in the burgeoning generative AI ecosystem are using their terms and conditions to impose legal restrictions on user behavior.
This project addresses a critical knowledge gap for policymakers and researchers: how ubiquitous and restrictive are the fine-print rules governing the use of generative AI?
“Generative AI will impact a wide range of economic activity,” said Sawicki. “Our goal is to help ensure robust competition in the market for this technology. John and I are so grateful to have the support of the fantastic team at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.”
Data-driven analysis for nascent markets
Sawicki and Newman will study the terms and conditions of more than 100 genAI firms to provide a data-driven analysis of this issue. By systematically documenting these practices, the project will offer crucial insights into the real-world impact of these agreements.
The research's ultimate goal is to offer responsive policy prescriptions to ensure that the generative AI market remains competitive, dynamic, and open to innovation, protecting users and the future of the digital economy.
Sawicki is a Professor of Law at the University of Miami, the director of the Data, Ethics, & Society Program at the Frost Institute for Data Science & Computing, and director of the Business of Innovation, Law, & Technology Concentration at the School of Law. An intellectual property expert, his work explores how legal rules shape creativity, innovation, and emerging technologies.
The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is a nonprofit research and grantmaking organization dedicated to advancing evidence-backed ideas and policies that promote strong, stable, and broad-based economic growth. Core to their mission is helping to build a stronger bridge between academics and policymakers so that new research is relevant, accessible, and informative to the policymaking process.
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