Cullen discussed the transformative potential of AI in the financial and legal services sectors, and shared his advice on workflow transformations, quality improvement techniques, and bias mitigation strategies in AI adoption. He highlighted his organisation’s regulatory approach, drawing intriguing parallels with legal frameworks that could govern AI applications in the future. 

“AI technology has the potential to augment rather than replace legal professionals, but it is shifting from routine, mechanical tasks to higher-value analysis work. This shift is fundamentally reshaping the legal services landscape, particularly with regard to working with large bodies of text,” said Cullen. “The term ‘technological singularity’ describes a hypothetical point in time at which technological progress becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable consequences for human civilisation. In my view, we’ve already crossed that point. However, developers, companies, regulators and policy makers must still work hand in hand to lead on guardrails, regulation and policy that balances mitigating risk without overly stifling innovation.”

Adding a regional dimension, Kneychuk shared her thoughts and observations on AI development and investment within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. For example, Poland is expected to have an AI market valued at over $5.8 billion by 2030, driven by investment from large global tech companies such as Google and a government actively supporting AI initiatives. 

Her discussion also focused on the resilience of Ukraine’s IT sector, home to many well-known ‘unicorn’ tech companies including Grammarly, People.ai, and Bitfury. She said that Ukraine’s IT sector has shown great adaptability and strength amidst adversity in the past few years. Kneychuk further illuminated the audience with case studies of AI's application in aiding civil services during wartime Ukraine, such as the Ukrainian government’s AI-powered digital government platform Diia, highlighting the crucial role technology has played in supporting communities and enabling essential public services under challenging conditions. 

"Ukraine has become a global case study for how AI can empower national defence, crisis management, and societal resilience. Many of the AI-driven solutions pioneered in Ukraine, from assessing infrastructure damage and prioritizing urgent repairs, to matching medical supplies with hospital needs, and locating survivors with thermal drones, offer valuable models for emergency response worldwide," said Oksana Kneychuk.

The presentations sparked lively discussions among attendees, including lawyers, other business services professionals, and students eager to understand the evolving field. The April event also marked the kick-off meeting for Thornhill Academy’s newly established AI & Law research project team. In the coming months, the team will conduct in-depth research on the implications of AI's rapid evolution on legal practices across different jurisdictions, including AI integration among law firms, concerns around transparency and accountability, and different regulatory approaches to address emerging issues.

Through its monthly AI & Law series, Thornhill Academy aims to build a forum for progressive thought and dialogue in AI and law, helping participants to navigate the complexity of the ‘technological singularity’ while equipping professionals with practical tools and know-hows to thrive in the AI-driven future.

Register your interest to attend and stay informed about upcoming events in Thornhill Academy's AI & Law series.

Key contact:
 

Yun Kriegler

Director of international markets, Thornhill Legal

Email: yun.kriegler@thornhill-legal.com