Herbert Smith Freehills new tool illuminates global AI laws and policies

Herbert Smith Freehills is launching a new AI-powered tool to help clients keep on top of the swiftly evolving landscape of global AI policy and regulations.

Developed in response to a growing client need to keep pace with governments' fragmented AI strategies, policies, and regulations across multiple regions, the free-to-use tool will initially provide insights across 12 jurisdictions. Beginning with the UK, Australia and countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, there is a roadmap to add others.

Called the 'HSF AI Tracker', it will capture the core AI principles and regulations released by governments as they advance their AI goals and ambitions, alongside the broader spectrum of existing laws that apply to AI technology. The tool will be updated regularly, allowing users to monitor key legal development including case law and court decisions which transform existing legal frameworks and establish new precedents.

"Effective AI risk management demands that organisations understand and monitor changes in the laws and regulations that apply to them. 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. 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," says Alexander Amato-Cravero, director of Emerging Technology Advisory and Legal Operations Advisory at Herbert Smith Freehills.

Pioneered by the firm's Emerging Technology Group which advises on all aspects of AI and other emerging technology law, the tool has been used over 5,500 times in its pilot phase by individuals across all industry sectors.

"The regulatory landscape surrounding AI technology is especially complex. 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. 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," adds Jamie Ball, manager in Herbert Smith Freehills' Emerging Technology Advisory team.

The HSF AI Tracker is the latest in a suite of tools created by the firm to help clients keep on top of changing legal requirements. It follows the launch of the firm's Global ESG Tracker in June 2024, an AI LinkedIn newsletter - called Behind the Prompt - which offers insights into AI trends, and a host of other digital tools, accessible via the firm's digital marketplace.