AI is a catalyst for innovation across a wide range of sectors, from finance and healthcare to logistics, retail, and beyond. These technologies are not only enhancing operational efficiency but also creating new business models, revenue streams and customer experiences.
The rapid changes brought on by the growth of AI and data-driven innovation also give rise to legal, organisational and ethical challenges for businesses, governments and society in general. Content creators and data businesses are faced with the prospect of their assets being used to train AI and generate AI outputs that will disrupt existing data and creative sectors. Regulators are looking to address the ethical issues arising from AI technology including, for example, the consequences of inherent biases in the data used to train generative AI models. Organisations are also grappling with the impact of AI on the workforce and the challenges posed by the transition to transformational AI technologies.
Whether you are a startup pioneering new AI solutions or an organisation adapting to the rise of AI, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Our cross-practice team can help to navigate you through the evolving legal and regulatory landscape. We offer pragmatic advice and are committed to helping you seize the opportunities AI and machine-learning present.
How we can help
- Development: From helping organisations protect their intellectual property rights to ensuring regulatory compliance, we guide developers in building and protecting their innovations.
- Data law: AI and large language models (LLMs) depend on a regular supply of data. We help organisations manage cyber security and data privacy risks, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other data protection laws.
- Protecting data and intellectual property: We can help shape your intellectual property strategy in order to manage risks arising from the use of AI and to protect the value in your data and content by licensing it safely. We advise on the application of data and text mining exemptions that legislators are implementing into law to foster growth in the AI sector while at the same time ensuring that the rights of those operating in the creative sectors are protected. We also advise on the intellectual property ownership issues that arise in the context of AI generated works.
- Implementing new technologies: From advising on licensing arrangements to conducting due diligence and advising on post-merger integration, we support businesses when acquiring new technologies and advise on how best to manage related risks.
- Ethical AI and regulatory compliance: The deployment of AI must be done responsibly and in compliance with the evolving global legislative landscape (including the EU AI Act). We advise organisations on how best to implement compliant, transparent, fair, and ethical AI systems and policies.
- Business growth: We support businesses entering into new commercial collaborations and partnerships, on international expansion plans and on obtaining investment and other finance.
- Investment: We advise investors in AI from due diligence all the way through to negotiation of the investment agreements and eventual exit.
- Infrastructure: We advise AI providers on their contract negotiations for cloud and digital infrastructure services.
- Human resources and employment: AI solutions are increasingly being adopted to perform recruitment and performance management tasks. We help businesses ensure that the adoption and use of such technologies comply with employment and data protection laws. Our team also helps employers manage the re-training, consultation and governance issues arising from the adoption of AI technologies and its impact on the workforce.
Recent experience
- Advising a developer of innovative processor chips using patented photonics processes for use in the AI sector, on its spin-out from University College London, its subsequent £10m funding round and on its £17.5m Series A round. We have also negotiated key agreements for the design, development and manufacture of the chips.
- Advising a leading international provider of AI-powered workforce management solutions, in respect of entry into the UK market, including negotiating its agreements with major enterprise customers.
- Advising the provider of an innovative AI-powered platform designed to address risks relating to underinsurance of property rebuild costs, on its pre-seed fundraising and subsequent seed fundraising as well as its reseller agreements and licensing arrangements. Advising a UK-headquartered leader in the “gig economy” with its enterprise AI and crowd-sourced customer service solution.
- Advising a business on the drafting and negotiation of a framework agreement with an AI consultancy/implementation business to be used on discrete projects aimed at deploying AI-powered solutions to improve processes and systems throughout all aspects of the organisation.
- Hosting and chairing a training/strategy day for a leading supplier of sports betting data and systems with a focus on the challenges and opportunities posed by AI and a comparison of the emerging global regulatory landscape, particularly text and data mining exemptions.
