Mar 18, 2026 · A&O Shearman
As AI moves into the core of business operations, governance — not experimentation — is where legal teams create the most value.
Artificial intelligence has moved from pilot projects to production systems that touch customers, employees and regulated decisions. The legal question is no longer whether to adopt it, but how to govern it responsibly.
Effective AI governance rests on the same principles that underpin any well-run operation: clear ownership, enforced permissions and a complete, attributable record of how decisions are made. Regulators across markets are converging on exactly these expectations.
Legal teams that treat governance as an enabler — building the controls that let the business move quickly and safely — will find themselves at the centre of strategy rather than at its edge.
The firms advising them must model the same discipline: transparent about where automation assists, rigorous about human review, and uncompromising on accountability. That is the standard we hold ourselves to.
