How far can robots replace humans in terms of regulations? How much annual leave is a robot entitled to? What about the availability of means set by law and applicable to certain professions (e.g. asset management) when such means are in part made up of autonomous machines?

Or the expertise of a robot likely to replace a key function that is usually carried out by a human within the company?

The European regulation in particular sets a certain number of rules as regards the means required to carry out regulated activities, such as, for instance, investment fund managers. When they are looking to obtain a certification to practice, they must always have the means and expertise necessary to carry out their financial and risk management activities. Yet some of these activities can, in part, be carried out with the help of robots.

It is therefore important to legally assess the possibility of replacing certain functions with a machine. Similarly, questions as regards territoriality and liability are posed as soon as certain independent tools are integrated to the operation of these machines.

It is therefore vital to carry out a case-by-case analysis to legally structure these “machine-augmented” activities, prior to replacing certain functions with machines.

Legally reviewing the delegation and/or outsourcing of certain tasks and businesses are thus of particular strategic importance.

As regards employment law, what are the legal pitfalls to avoid when transforming your “human” tasks into “robot” tasks?

The automation of certain tasks within a company offers it a number of opportunities, but also calls into question its operating methods and organisation.

When faced with changing working methods and requirements, companies and their social fabric undergo extensive change. The rules governing the company, as well as its existing ecosystem, must absolutely be taken into account when managing their change, in order to ensure the sustainability of such changes.

Transition management must be handled in-house. Integrating the robot must be carried out in the context of a pre-existing company governed by various regulations (including employment law, corporate agreements and other agreements) that automation must take into account and respect.

Transition to automation also changes relationships the company may have with the outside world, and the impact as regards positioning and client experience may be significant. The company must however anticipate to better understand the related legal consequences, for instance in terms of liability as regards a robot’s activity.