The AI Drop

When two lawyers who co-head a global AI practice spend the day at a high-level policy forum, they come home with a lot on their minds. In this episode, Anna Gressel and Giles Pratt, Freshfields' Global Head of IP/Data Practice and Global Co-Head of AI, cover The Observer's new global AI cities rankings, the copyright questions looming over AI-generated code, the UK's pro-innovation policy bet — and a prediction for 2027 that involves all of us. Consider it the debrief that didn't stay in the room.

Giles explains why investors now ask whether the AI work they fund can actually be owned, and how UK law uniquely protects computer-generated works for 50 years, versus life plus 70 for a human author. He also warns that unsettled rules on model training could shape where data centers get built.

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☑️ Giles Pratt | LinkedIn

☑️ Anna Gressel | LinkedIn

☑️ Freshfields

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In this episode of The AI Drop, Jason Stanley, Head of Applied AI Research at ServiceNow, returns for another discussion with host Anna Gressel on one of the most pressing challenges in AI governance: how to oversee AI systems that continue to adapt after deployment. Together, they explore what adaptive and self-improving AI means for enterprise risk and governance.

He explains why an AI system can excel at one task yet fail at a slightly reworded version of it, and why critical governance controls must sit beyond an agent's ability to modify them, even if those safeguards may not hold indefinitely.

Jason and Anna also discuss how contracts can transform voluntary standards into binding obligations more quickly than new regulation, and why effective oversight must extend to how AI systems evolve at runtime.

For legal, risk, and technology leaders alike, this conversation gives insight on the governance questions likely to dominate 2027.

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☑️ Jason Stanley | LinkedIn | github

☑️ ServiceNow | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube

☑️ Anna Gressel | LinkedIn

☑️ Freshfields

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The most effective AI governance programs don't slow innovation down. They create the guardrails, visibility, and trust needed to scale AI responsibly and confidently.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Anna Gressel welcomes back Polina Zvyagina, Director and Executive Lead Counsel for AI & Data Governance at General Motors, for a deep dive into what effective AI governance looks like in practice. From NIST's AI Risk Management Framework to the challenges of AI agents, shadow AI, evaluations, and scalable governance, Polina shares practical insights on building governance that works in the real world. The conversation also examines why governance should function as a "seatbelt, not a brake," helping organizations innovate faster while maintaining trust, transparency, and accountability. They also discuss the importance of human judgment, evaluating AI outputs, fitness-for-purpose testing, and avoiding overreliance on AI systems as organizations scale adoption. For governance leaders, legal professionals, and business leaders alike, this episode offers a important insights for building responsible AI programs that can evolve alongside the technology.

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☑️ Polina Zvyagina | LinkedIn

☑️ Anna Gressel | LinkedIn

☑️ Freshfields

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In this episode of The AI Drop, Anna Gressel sits down with Polina Zvyagina, Director and Executive Lead Counsel for AI & Data Governance at General Motors, to explore one of the most sought-after legal roles in tech today: AI Product Counsel. Polina shares how she helped pioneer the AI product counseling field and explains why the future of AI governance depends on embedding legal, policy, and risk expertise directly into the product development process.

Together, Anna and Polina explore how organizations can move beyond treating AI governance as a compliance exercise and instead use it to enable responsible innovation. Polina also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the AI product counsel role, sharing how legal teams work alongside engineers and business leaders to balance innovation with privacy, transparency, consumer protection, and other key risks. For lawyers and governance professionals alike, the conversation provides practical insights into one of the fastest-growing roles in the AI ecosystem.

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☑️ Polina Zvyagina | LinkedIn

☑️ Anna Gressel | LinkedIn

☑️ Freshfields

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Export controls have always started with a simple question: what is the thing, and where can it go? AI is complicating that equation. Nabeel Yousef, a Freshfields partner whose practice spans US sanctions, export control, and anti-corruption law, joins host Anna Gressel to map where frontier technology meets national security regulation. Together, they explore the three issues clients are grappling with most: semiconductor controls, the software powering AI infrastructure, and the potential impact of the pending Remote Access Security Act. They also discuss the risks of integrating Chinese AI models, the emerging East-West divide in AI development, and why many compliance programs have become outdated “Frankensteins” in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. As Nabeel explains, one of the biggest compliance risks is assuming your house is already in order.

 

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☑️ Nabeel Yousef | LinkedIn

☑️ Anna Gressel | LinkedIn

☑️ Freshfields

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