Praveeta Thayalan

The UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT), a UK Ministry of Justice backed initiative, has published a legal statement on liability for non-deliberate harm caused by artificial intelligence (AI) systems under English law, following a public consultation on the issue. The focus of the statement is on the ability of English law to provide sufficient redress for harms caused by the use of AI, given the novel issues that may arise from such use.

Developing AI capabilities is a strategic focus for every company, with acquisitions one of the primary ways businesses can rapidly move up the technology curve. Here we explore the key issues that boards need to focus on to lock in value and manage risk in AI-related deals. This memo forms part of a series examining critical legal and regulatory decision points, opportunities, and risks facing leaders in an increasingly uncertain global business environment.

At the beginning of February 2025, the AI literacy requirement under the EU AI Act came into force. The effect of this is that certain businesses must take measures to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy in their staff. The EU AI Act applies to: (i) businesses established in the EU; and (ii) businesses not established in the EU but whose AI system is placed in the EU market (including for its own use) or where the AI system's output is used in the EU.