United Kingdom: Technology

In-house legal teams are rapidly expanding their scope of work, driven by AI capabilities and rising law firm costs. But as the perimeter of what they handle grows faster than their budgets and capacity, many are discovering that bringing work in-house creates new challenges around workload management and sustainable operations. The question isn't whether to insource more work—it's how to build the flexible, AI-enabled operating model needed to handle it effectively.

The Barclays Women's Super League is pioneering the use of Connected Ball technology, with Nike and Sportable introducing FIFA-certified smart ball sensors that track every touch, movement, and tactical decision in real-time. This groundbreaking implementation marks the first time any football league has deployed such comprehensive technology at scale, providing unprecedented performance data to players, coaches, and fans alike.

In-house legal teams are experiencing an unexpected consequence of AI adoption: while the technology promises efficiency, it's simultaneously generating unprecedented volumes of new work. From AI-drafted contracts to automated complaints, legal departments must now rethink their operational structure to handle this influx without expanding headcount. The solution lies not in resisting AI, but in using it strategically alongside robust legal operations infrastructure.

A recent UKIPO decision has provided the first detailed application of the Supreme Court's landmark Emotional Perception AI test to computer-implemented inventions, revealing how the new framework produces materially different outcomes from the old Aerotel approach. The case involving FLIR Belgium's marine navigation display patent demonstrates that Hearing Officers are prepared to take a more nuanced, feature-by-feature view than initial Examiner assessments, particularly when features serve safety-critica

The UK Intellectual Property Office has released new guidance following the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Emotional Perception AI Ltd v Comptroller-General, fundamentally changing how AI and computer-implemented inventions are examined in the UK.

Two new chapters in Rising Roles in Law explore how legal operations professionals and AI-enabled teams are reshaping the legal profession. The contributions examine who performs this transformative work, what capabilities they currently possess, and which skills they must develop to bridge the gap between AI investment and measurable returns.

Werner Vogels argues that AI has disrupted traditional trust mechanisms—from personal relationships to institutional intermediaries to distributed digital systems—by making trust signals increasingly easy to fake. Drawing parallels with banking's post-financial crisis recovery, this analysis explores whether AI governance requires decentralization or stronger institutions capable of risk-based oversight and continuous verification.

Technology transformation across the sector driven by the adoption of data-driven and digital solutions is transforming not only how aircraft and systems are designed and built, but also how they are deployed...

An experienced M&A lawyer shares firsthand insights from using AI-powered contract review tools in a real due diligence project, revealing how the combination of legal expertise, AI technology...