The speed of AI development gets most of the headlines, but the law is running a race of its own. Legislators and regulators are releasing new rules at a pace that can surprise even the most seasoned compliance teams. For in-house counsel, this creates a constant challenge: how to give sound, forward-looking advice when the ground under your feet is shifting.
The Fastest-Moving Rulebook In Tech
Unlike more-established areas of technology law, AI regulation is in a period of constant motion. The EU AI Act is nearing implementation. States like California and Colorado are experimenting with their own frameworks. Sector-specific guidance is emerging for industries from healthcare to finance. Meanwhile, countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America are rolling out policies tailored to their markets.
A product that meets every legal requirement at the time of launch may still face new obligations before its first update. This volatility means that compliance cannot be treated as a single checkpoint. It must be a continuous discipline.
Building A Legal Radar
Staying ahead begins with visibility. In-house counsel should develop a reliable system for tracking legislative proposals, draft regulations, and enforcement trends. This is not something that can be left to occasional research. It requires a mix of automated alerts, regular briefings from trusted external advisors, and active participation in industry groups that engage with policymakers.
The goal is to see changes coming early enough to adapt strategy, rather than reacting in a scramble after the rules are finalized.
Embedding Law Into Development
When legal obligations can change midstream, product development must be able to absorb those changes without losing momentum. This is where embedding counsel in early-stage planning becomes critical. Legal input at the design stage ensures that requirements are considered as part of the build process, not as unexpected barriers at the end.
If a proposal for stricter transparency rules appears halfway through development, for example, a team with legal already at the table can pivot more smoothly than one that learns about it just before launch.
Designing For Flexibility
An effective way to manage shifting regulations is to build flexibility into the product itself. Modular design, configurable features, and adaptable reporting mechanisms make it easier to comply with new requirements without overhauling the entire system.
On the organizational side, this means having governance processes that allow for quick decision-making. Roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths should be clear so that regulatory changes can be addressed without delay.
Turning Change Into Opportunity
While frequent regulatory updates can create uncertainty, they also open doors for competitive advantage. Companies that can adjust faster than their peers can enter regulated markets sooner, build stronger relationships with regulators, and signal to customers that they take responsible AI seriously.
In-house counsel is in a unique position to help the business turn adaptability into a selling point. By anticipating legal developments and guiding agile responses, legal teams can help transform compliance into a tool for building market trust.
Leading In A Moving Landscape
AI regulation will not slow down any time soon. Companies that thrive will not be the ones waiting for the rules to settle but those that plan for constant evolution. For in-house counsel, that means treating legal change as a constant design factor, not an occasional obstacle.
The ability to stay informed, adapt quickly, and guide the business through regulatory shifts is now a core part of legal leadership in the AI era. The companies that master this will not just keep pace with the law. They will help shape the standards that define the future of AI.
Olga V. Mack is the CEO of TermScout, an AI-powered contract certification platform that accelerates revenue and eliminates friction by certifying contracts as fair, balanced, and market-ready. A serial CEO and legal tech executive, she previously led a company through a successful acquisition by LexisNexis. Olga is also a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and the Generative AI Editor at law.MIT. She is a visionary executive reshaping how we law—how legal systems are built, experienced, and trusted. Olga teaches at Berkeley Law, lectures widely, and advises companies of all sizes, as well as boards and institutions. An award-winning general counsel turned builder, she also leads early-stage ventures including Virtual Gabby (Better Parenting Plan), Product Law Hub, ESI Flow, and Notes to My (Legal) Self, each rethinking the practice and business of law through technology, data, and human-centered design. She has authored The Rise of Product Lawyers, Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data, Blockchain Value, and Get on Board, with Visual IQ for Lawyers (ABA) forthcoming. Olga is a 6x TEDx speaker and has been recognized as a Silicon Valley Woman of Influence and an ABA Woman in Legal Tech. Her work reimagines people’s relationship with law—making it more accessible, inclusive, data-driven, and aligned with how the world actually works. She is also the host of the Notes to My (Legal) Self podcast (streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube), and her insights regularly appear in Forbes, Bloomberg Law, Newsweek, VentureBeat, ACC Docket, and Above the Law. She earned her B.A. and J.D. from UC Berkeley. Follow her on LinkedIn and X @olgavmack.
The post Keeping Pace: How In-House Counsel Can Stay Ahead Of Rapidly Changing AI Laws appeared first on Above the Law.
The speed of AI development gets most of the headlines, but the law is running a race of its own. Legislators and regulators are releasing new rules at a pace that can surprise even the most seasoned compliance teams. For in-house counsel, this creates a constant challenge: how to give sound, forward-looking advice when the ground under your feet is shifting.
The Fastest-Moving Rulebook In Tech
Unlike more-established areas of technology law, AI regulation is in a period of constant motion. The EU AI Act is nearing implementation. States like California and Colorado are experimenting with their own frameworks. Sector-specific guidance is emerging for industries from healthcare to finance. Meanwhile, countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America are rolling out policies tailored to their markets.
A product that meets every legal requirement at the time of launch may still face new obligations before its first update. This volatility means that compliance cannot be treated as a single checkpoint. It must be a continuous discipline.
Building A Legal Radar
Staying ahead begins with visibility. In-house counsel should develop a reliable system for tracking legislative proposals, draft regulations, and enforcement trends. This is not something that can be left to occasional research. It requires a mix of automated alerts, regular briefings from trusted external advisors, and active participation in industry groups that engage with policymakers.
The goal is to see changes coming early enough to adapt strategy, rather than reacting in a scramble after the rules are finalized.
Embedding Law Into Development
When legal obligations can change midstream, product development must be able to absorb those changes without losing momentum. This is where embedding counsel in early-stage planning becomes critical. Legal input at the design stage ensures that requirements are considered as part of the build process, not as unexpected barriers at the end.
If a proposal for stricter transparency rules appears halfway through development, for example, a team with legal already at the table can pivot more smoothly than one that learns about it just before launch.
Designing For Flexibility
An effective way to manage shifting regulations is to build flexibility into the product itself. Modular design, configurable features, and adaptable reporting mechanisms make it easier to comply with new requirements without overhauling the entire system.
On the organizational side, this means having governance processes that allow for quick decision-making. Roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths should be clear so that regulatory changes can be addressed without delay.
Turning Change Into Opportunity
While frequent regulatory updates can create uncertainty, they also open doors for competitive advantage. Companies that can adjust faster than their peers can enter regulated markets sooner, build stronger relationships with regulators, and signal to customers that they take responsible AI seriously.
In-house counsel is in a unique position to help the business turn adaptability into a selling point. By anticipating legal developments and guiding agile responses, legal teams can help transform compliance into a tool for building market trust.
Leading In A Moving Landscape
AI regulation will not slow down any time soon. Companies that thrive will not be the ones waiting for the rules to settle but those that plan for constant evolution. For in-house counsel, that means treating legal change as a constant design factor, not an occasional obstacle.
The ability to stay informed, adapt quickly, and guide the business through regulatory shifts is now a core part of legal leadership in the AI era. The companies that master this will not just keep pace with the law. They will help shape the standards that define the future of AI.
Olga V. Mack is the CEO of TermScout, an AI-powered contract certification platform that accelerates revenue and eliminates friction by certifying contracts as fair, balanced, and market-ready. A serial CEO and legal tech executive, she previously led a company through a successful acquisition by LexisNexis. Olga is also a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and the Generative AI Editor at law.MIT. She is a visionary executive reshaping how we law—how legal systems are built, experienced, and trusted. Olga teaches at Berkeley Law, lectures widely, and advises companies of all sizes, as well as boards and institutions. An award-winning general counsel turned builder, she also leads early-stage ventures including Virtual Gabby (Better Parenting Plan), Product Law Hub, ESI Flow, and Notes to My (Legal) Self, each rethinking the practice and business of law through technology, data, and human-centered design. She has authored The Rise of Product Lawyers, Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data, Blockchain Value, and Get on Board, with Visual IQ for Lawyers (ABA) forthcoming. Olga is a 6x TEDx speaker and has been recognized as a Silicon Valley Woman of Influence and an ABA Woman in Legal Tech. Her work reimagines people’s relationship with law—making it more accessible, inclusive, data-driven, and aligned with how the world actually works. She is also the host of the Notes to My (Legal) Self podcast (streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube), and her insights regularly appear in Forbes, Bloomberg Law, Newsweek, VentureBeat, ACC Docket, and Above the Law. She earned her B.A. and J.D. from UC Berkeley. Follow her on LinkedIn and X @olgavmack.
