Firm covers 12 jurisdictions in its new resource and plans to add more
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), a global law firm, has announced the release of its new free-to-use AI-powered tool, which seeks to assist clients in monitoring the speedily shifting artificial intelligence policies and regulations worldwide.
“Effective AI risk management demands that organisations understand and monitor changes in the laws and regulations that apply to them,” said Alexander Amato-Cravero, director of HSF’s emerging technology advisory and legal operations advisory, in the news release.
“With access to a snapshot of the full spectrum of AI policy and regulation, legal, risk, and compliance teams will be better able to make informed decisions that enable innovation while effectively managing risk,” added Jamie Ball, manager in HSF’s emerging technology advisory team, in the news release.
Presently, the HSF AI tracker offers insights covering 12 jurisdictions – the UK, Australia, and countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, according to the firm’s news release. HSF said it has plans to add other jurisdictions and regularly update the resource.
The firm shared that its new tool aims to apprise its users of important cases and court decisions that change the current legal frameworks and set precedents, as well as other significant legal developments.
HSF added that the resource seeks to reflect the core AI principles and regulations issued by governments in the covered jurisdictions and the wider range of legislation applicable to AI technologies.
In its news release, HSF noted that its emerging technology group – which assists clients with all aspects of AI and other emerging technologies – pioneered the AI tracker. The firm developed the resource to address the clients’ need to keep track of fragmented AI strategies, policies, and regulations introduced by governments from different regions.
“The rapid pace at which AI policy is evolving, combined with increasing fragmentation between approaches taken by policymakers worldwide, makes this extremely challenging for businesses with multinational footprints,” Amato-Cravero said in the news release.
“Our aim is to simplify the process, helping those in legal, risk, and compliance teams to cut through the noise and quickly identify key AI policy and regulatory information across key jurisdictions,” Amato-Cravero added.
"The regulatory landscape surrounding AI technology is especially complex,” Ball said in the firm’s news release.
“Understanding the impact of policy and law on AI development, deployment, and investment requires recognition of both emerging AI regulations and evolution of traditional laws spanning data privacy, equality and employment, competition and trade, intellectual property, and many more,” Ball added.
According to the firm, during the tool’s pilot stage, individuals from all industry sectors used the tracker more than 5,500 times. The firm said its new AI tracker is the most recent in its offerings seeking to help clients adapt to the shifting legal and regulatory landscape.
These offerings include a global ESG tracker, established in June 2024; “Behind the Prompt,” an AI LinkedIn newsletter that provides insights on AI trends; and other digital resources, which users can access through the firm’s digital marketplace.
