Analysis Group Affiliate Simon Blanchard Explores Data Privacy Considerations in CBA Webinar

December 4, 2024

Analysis Group affiliate Simon Blanchard presented on data privacy considerations during the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) webinar “Navigating Disclosure Challenges in the Age of AI and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).” The webinar was hosted by the Marketing Practices Committee of the CBA, which is chaired by Analysis Group Principal Laura O’Laughlin. Louisa Garib (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada) and Kelly Martin (Colorado State University) also participated on the panel. The panelists’ discussion centered around consumer perceptions and beliefs related to data privacy, disclosures, and AI tool integration.

The moderator, Kelan Ton (Competition Bureau of Canada), opened the panel by describing consumer data use by AI models and APIs – protocols that allow software apps to communicate – and outlined Canadian legal standards for evaluating the adequacy of privacy disclosures. Next, Ms. Garib presented best practices for “privacy-protective” generative AI technologies, including the recommendation that companies attempt to make AI tools understandable to users. Professor Blanchard then discussed data privacy considerations that may arise from increasing consumer use of AI tools, using research leveraging chatbots as an example. Ms. Martin followed this line of thought, presenting current research on consumer preferences regarding how their personal data are collected, used, stored, and shared.