AI regulation faces global copyright and procurement challenges

The intersection of artificial intelligence and legal regulation is creating complex challenges for both developers and professional service providers. Globally, jurisdictions including the US, EU, Japan, South Korea, China, the UK, Canada, and Australia are developing distinct frameworks to address AI training and copyright. Because international copyright law is structured around individual national rules within the broad Berne Convention framework, AI companies face significant cross-border legal risks. A practice deemed acceptable in one country may result in infringement rulings in another, particularly regarding unauthorized content reproduction for data mining.

In the legal sector, regulatory risks are shifting toward the procurement phase. Law firms are increasingly responsible for ensuring that AI vendors comply with professional obligations regarding competence, due diligence, and confidentiality. Under frameworks such as those applied by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the UK, firms cannot delegate these duties. A critical concern for firms is whether they can provide evidence regarding the flow of privileged information and how data persists within a procured AI system after processing.