AI, Privacy, and the General Counsel's Role in Responsible Innovation

Lane Blumenfeld is the Chief Legal Officer for Data Driven Holdings (DDH). Through its portfolio companies, headed by TEAM VELOCITY, DDH has become a market leader of data-powered technology and marketing solutions for the automotive industry. Lane was named a Top 50 Corporate Counsel by OnCon. Lane holds a JD from Yale Law School, an MA in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a BA magna cum laude from Cornell University.

In this episode…

The pressure on companies to deliver faster, more personalized digital experiences often conflicts with their privacy and security obligations. General counsels sit at the center of this tension, balancing the business value of personal data with the need to protect it. That's why their involvement early in product development is essential. Working with product and engineering teams from the start allows legal teams to build safeguards into design, before products and services reach customers. So, how can companies find the right balance without compromising privacy and security?

AI also adds a new layer of complexity. As companies use it to analyze data, refine customer targeting, and generate marketing content, legal teams and general counsels are adapting to evolving regulations. While clean, reliable data is essential, general counsels need to evaluate accuracy and bias to ensure responsible use. Even as AI advances, fundamental privacy and security principles still apply. That's why it's important for organizations to take ownership of their privacy practices, especially when it comes to privacy notices and vendor relationships. Companies shouldn't depend on generic privacy notices or third-party templates that fail to reflect their actual data handling practices. Vendor contracts need equal attention, with privacy and cybersecurity provisions that mirror company commitments to consumers, since one vendor's mistake can create significant risk.

In this episode of She Said Privacy/He Said Security, Jodi and Justin Daniels talk with Lane Blumenfeld, Chief Legal Officer at Data Driven Holdings, about how general counsels can balance innovation with privacy and security. Lane explains how early legal involvement helps embed privacy and security into product design. He emphasizes that clear, accurate privacy notices and well-structured vendor contracts are essential for reducing privacy and security risks and maintaining accountability. And, as AI reshapes compliance obligations, Lane highlights the need for defined ownership across legal, product, and vendor teams and why companies sometimes need to walk away from vendors that expose them to excessive risk.