City Bar Presidential Task Force on AI and Digital Tech Off to Fast and Productive Start

The City Bar launched a Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies in September to create a center of excellence and thought leadership in innovative technologies that create new or enhanced products and services, digital assets, and more efficient, convenient, and effective ways of doing business. In only its first two months, the Task Force has been hard at work on many fronts. By the end of October 2024, the Task Force had 215 members, 12 artificial intelligence subcommittees, 14 digital technologies subcommittees, and 5 Task Force working groups. 

Advocacy 

On September 3, 2024, City Bar President Muhammad Faridi; City Bar Director of Advocacy Elizabeth Kocienda; Uniform Law Commission Chairman of the New York Delegation Mark Glazer; and Task Force Co-Chairs Lorraine McGowen and Jerome Walker met in-person with New York State Assemblyman Alex Bores and his staff to discuss a top legislative priority for the Task Force and the City Bar: the enactment of the New York Emerging Technologies Amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code, S.7244-A/A10579 (UCC Amendments).

The meeting focused on the actions taken by the Task Force in support of the UCC Amendments and offered Task Force support for other issues related to addressing artificial intelligence and digital technologies. Efforts are ongoing and will continue as the Task Force and the Advocacy Department prepare for the start of the New York State legislative session in January 2025. For more information about the Task Force’s work to support the UCC Amendments, ways to get involved, and to sign up to receive updates about the UCC Amendments and the actions of other states, please visit Talking Points & Resources | NY Emerging Technologies Amendments to the UCC.  

In September 2024, Task Force Co-Chairs Lorraine McGowen and Jerome Walker and the Advocacy Department commenced the process of direct engagement with the New York Governor’s office about modernizing the New York Uniform Commercial Code by, among other things, scheduling meetings with the Governor’s Counsel, with New York State Assemblyman Charles Lavine and with the staff of New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and the staff of New York State Assemblyman Alex Bores. 

Programming 

On September 16, 2024, the Task Force hosted the City Bar’s first annual CLE Fintech Institute: Payment Systems and Financial Inclusion. The Fintech Institute attracted a broad audience of more than 100 senior officials, both lawyers and other professionals, from the public and private sectors. As a result of the success of the Fintech Institute, the Task Force has already commenced the planning of the September 2025 Fintech Institute.  

On November 4, 2024, the Task Force hosted the UN Summit of the Future focusing on the international regulation of artificial intelligence by the UN and other international bilateral and multilateral agencies. This program was requested by the City Bar President during the June 13, 2024, meeting, and was the first time the Task Force hosted a hybrid, live and remote program.  

The Task Force is planning the March 11, 2025, Crypto Institute, which will be the first City Bar Crypto Institute and will focus on four themes: (1) Understanding the Crypto Market (e.g., crypto business models; crypto products and services; and crypto assets); (2) Understanding the Regulation of Crypto (e.g., federal regulation; state and local regulation; and international regulation); (3) Understanding Problems that Might Arise (e.g., adverse claims and insolvency; litigation; and enforcement actions); and (4) Understanding Potential Game-Changing Possibilities (e.g., banks actively engaging in crypto activities with support from banking agencies; law enforcement embracing the benefits of crypto; and the crypto industry embracing regulation).  

Podcasts 

On September 19, 2024, the Task Force released a podcast covering the House Financial Services Committee June 6, 2024, Hearing on Tokenization of Real World Assets moderated by Task Force Subcommittee on Distributed Ledger Technology and Blockchain Co-Chair Robert A. Schwinger and featuring Task Force Subcommittee on Distributed Ledger Technology and Blockchain Members Tyler Yagman and Don F. Irwin. 

On October 31, 2024, the Task Force released a podcast titled Could Agentic AI Be Your Next Legal Intern? The podcast was moderated by Subcommittee on Generative Artificial Intelligence and the Law Co-Chair Wendy Butler Curtis and featured Subcommittee on Generative Artificial Intelligence and the Law Co-Chair Robert Mahari and Ironclad Founder Cai GoGwilt. The primary focus of the podcast was on Agentic Artificial Intelligence.