2026 Trends to Watch: Regulation, Infrastructure and IP in Motion

AI Regulation: EU and UK Update and What It Means in Practice

Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/] attorneys Jonathan Stephenson [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/s/stephenson-jonathan] and Alistair Ho [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/h/ho-alistair] join host Deborah Kirk [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/k/kirk-deborah-j] to unpack the latest developments in EU and UK AI regulation and what they mean in practice. Jonathan explains that the EU's AI Omnibus is heading toward finalization before its August 2026 deadline, with key changes to high-risk AI timelines, SME exemptions and AI literacy obligations. The panel then turns to the UK's Data Use and Access Act, with Jonathan detailing how it overhauls automated decision-making, Alistair discussing the introduction of recognized legitimate interests and new criminal offenses targeting non-consensual deepfakes, and all three examining the government's decision to step back from a broad text and data mining exception. Drawing on insights from Skadden's recent AI forum, the discussion underscores one consistent message: Businesses operating across borders should plan for regulatory fragmentation, not convergence. CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Alistair Ho [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/h/ho-alistair] | LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alistair-ho] ☑️ Jonathan Stephenson [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/s/stephenson-jonathan] I LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-stephenson-9a671076] ☑️ Deborah Kirk [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/k/kirk-deborah-j] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-kirk-88089426/] ☑️ Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/skadden-arps-slate-meagher-flom-llp-affiliates/?s=footer] | X [https://x.com/skaddenarps?s=footer] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/skadden/?s=footer] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/skadbytes/id1823233414] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5IcW9nAsPmsLTRFUqvHmWX?si=cc3bc0ac3bfa4cfb] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e91fd014-dfda-4468-9262-ae1378075e09/skadbytes] “SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates [https://www.skadden.com/]. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.

BYTES: Autonomous Vehicles

Driverless cars are essentially "moving computers." No longer just a sci-fi concept, these vehicles operate as taxis in parts of the U.S. In this episode of “Bytes,” jargon-free insights from Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/]’s IP and Tech team, Akvile Jaseviciute [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/j/jaseviciute-akvile] breaks down how autonomous vehicles work and how questions about liability shift once human drivers are removed from the equation. As Akvile explains, “Certifying that a vehicle is safe without a human fallback is yet another live regulatory challenge.” Tune in as she weighs in on the regulatory and legal future of this futuristic technology. CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Akvile Jaseviciute [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/j/jaseviciute-akvile] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/akvile-jaseviciute-a5651a142/] ☑️ Deborah Kirk [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/k/kirk-deborah-j] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-benson-24927328/] ☑️ Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/skadden-arps-slate-meagher-flom-llp-affiliates/?s=footer] | X [https://x.com/skaddenarps?s=footer] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/skadden/?s=footer] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/skadbytes/id1823233414] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5IcW9nAsPmsLTRFUqvHmWX?si=cc3bc0ac3bfa4cfb] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e91fd014-dfda-4468-9262-ae1378075e09/skadbytes] “SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates [https://www.skadden.com/]. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.

BYTES: 5G — Beyond Faster Phones

The jump from 4G to 5G isn't incremental. And it’s no small thing. “It’s a huge leap in three key areas: speed, responsiveness and capability," says Emily Griffin [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/g/griffin-emily-l], a member of Skadden’s IP and Technology team in London. In this episode of Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/]’s “Bytes,” Emilly breaks down what 5G is and why it matters. As she explains, 5G delivers data rates up to 100 times faster than 4G, reduces latency to as little as one millisecond, and supports up to a million devices per square kilometer. Emily also highlights the legal complexities that businesses face in deploying private 5G networks, including issues of licensing, spectrum access, data control and compliance with privacy laws like the GDPR. CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Emily Griffin [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/g/griffin-emily-l] | LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/emily-griffin-4331841a1] ☑️ Deborah Kirk [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/k/kirk-deborah-j] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-kirk-88089426/] ☑️ Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/skadden-arps-slate-meagher-flom-llp-affiliates/?s=footer] | X [https://x.com/skaddenarps?s=footer] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/skadden/?s=footer] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/skadbytes/id1823233414] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5IcW9nAsPmsLTRFUqvHmWX?si=cc3bc0ac3bfa4cfb] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e91fd014-dfda-4468-9262-ae1378075e09/skadbytes] “SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates [https://www.skadden.com/]. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.

2026 Trends to Watch: Regulation, Infrastructure and IP in Motion

Last year was a defining year for technology regulation in the EU, with its Data Act, Apply AI Strategy, and digital omnibus proposal that signaled a shift toward a more coherent regulatory framework. What does all this mean for 2026? Tune in for a breakdown of the top six trends in technology regulation from host Deborah Kirk [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/k/kirk-deborah-j] and colleagues Jonathan Stephenson [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/s/stephenson-jonathan] and Alistair Ho [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/h/ho-alistair], of Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/]’s IP and tech transactions team in London. “If there's one unifying message here, it's that 2026 is not about invention – it’s about integration,” Deborah observes “The clients we see moving fastest are the ones embedding legal thinking into how their products are built, how contracts are structured, and how systems are governed.” CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Alistair Ho [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/h/ho-alistair] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-ho/] ☑️ Jonathan Stephenson [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/s/stephenson-jonathan] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-stephenson-9a671076/] ☑️ Deborah Kirk [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/k/kirk-deborah-j] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-kirk-88089426/] ☑️ Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/skadden-arps-slate-meagher-flom-llp-affiliates/?s=footer] | X [https://x.com/skaddenarps?s=footer] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/skadden/?s=footer] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/skadbytes/id1823233414] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5IcW9nAsPmsLTRFUqvHmWX?si=cc3bc0ac3bfa4cfb] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e91fd014-dfda-4468-9262-ae1378075e09/skadbytes] “SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates [https://www.skadden.com/]. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.

BYTES: Agentic AI Versus Generative AI

In this "Byte," Akvile Jaseviciute [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/j/jaseviciute-akvile] from Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/]’s IP and Technology team breaks down two key AI terms: generative AI and agentic AI. Generative AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini and DALL-E create new content such as emails, images and summaries. Agentic AI, on the other hand, refers to emerging systems that are designed to plan, make decisions and carry out actions with limited human input. As AI systems start to make decisions and operate independently, businesses face tough questions about ownership, liability, bias, data protection and IP. CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Akvile Jaseviciute [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/j/jaseviciute-akvile] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/akvile-jaseviciute-a5651a142/] ☑️ Deborah Kirk [https://www.skadden.com/professionals/k/kirk-deborah-j] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-kirk-88089426/] ☑️ Skadden [https://www.skadden.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/skadden-arps-slate-meagher-flom-llp-affiliates/?s=footer] | X [https://x.com/skaddenarps?s=footer] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/skadden/?s=footer] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/skadbytes/id1823233414] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5IcW9nAsPmsLTRFUqvHmWX?si=cc3bc0ac3bfa4cfb] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e91fd014-dfda-4468-9262-ae1378075e09/skadbytes] “SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates [https://www.skadden.com/]. This podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This podcast is considered advertising under applicable state laws.