Outpacing the AI revolution

The world is undergoing a technological transformation that is set to impact all human activities. Its scale, scope, complexity and rapid pace has no historical precedent – and it has artificial intelligence (AI) at its heart.

This activity is taking place against a global regulatory landscape which is, with some exceptions, still at an early stage of evolution. As businesses innovate and deploy AI they also need to align their risk practices to meet regulator expectations and fitness for the future. Meanwhile, governments across the world are grappling with how best to regulate this technology in a way which fosters innovation and takes advantage of the potential benefits, while also providing appropriate safeguards.

Ashurst is a thought leader on AI and AI regulation and has been advising clients across a wide range of sectors on the legal and practical implications of this technology. This page will be regularly updated with new insights. Our latest report, Navigating the legal landscape: AI in Australia, sponsored by Google, offers valuable insights for policymakers, AI developers and businesses using AI. It explores global perspectives on the regulation of AI and focuses specifically on the Australian areas of consumer, privacy, employment, misinformation / disinformation and foreign interference law.

AI at Ashurst

In June 2024, Ashurst onboarded its first generative AI solution for client work through its partnership with Harvey, providing access to all 4,300+ of its people around the world and becoming the first global law firm to roll out Harvey across all offices globally from day one. In addition, M365 Copilot, Relativity Contract, Reveal AI and Relativity aiR for advanced legal workstreams have also been deployed.

Empowering Clients

Ashurst partners with multiple clients to explore advanced technologies, helping to get them started on their respective GenAI journeys. As AI adoption accelerates, business need to stay ahead of the regulatory curve and ensure they have the necessary safeguards in place for continuing their AI journey responsibly and effectively. This is driving increased demand from clients for broader services, including risk advice on topics such as the development of risk assessments and modelling, framework building, governance and uplifting internal controls and processes. We support clients to address these challenges by combining top tier legal services with legal-led consulting through the firm's consulting business, Ashurst Risk Advisory, and NewLaw delivery capability, Ashurst Advance.