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 and colleagues Jonathan Stephenson and Alistair Ho, of Skadden’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.”

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“SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. 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.

In this "Byte," Akvile Jaseviciute from Skadden’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.

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“SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. 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.

As the EU pivots from drafting AI rules to deploying AI at scale, businesses must face a swiftly advancing regulatory landscape. In this episode of "SkadBytes," partner Deborah Kirk and associate Alistair Ho from Skadden's IP and Technology team discuss the EU AI Act's phased rollout, the European Commission's €1 billion Apply AI Strategy and the just-published Digital Omnibus. They explore how these developments are driving sector-by-sector AI adoption, reshaping infrastructure and sovereignty considerations, and elevating the role of governance and early engagement for organizations across the region.

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“SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. 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.

In this “Byte,” Emily Griffin from Skadden’s IP and Technology team describes the key acronyms that power today's digital economy. As she explains, SaaS (Software as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and DaaS (Desktop as a Service) form a comprehensive cloud "stack.” “Understanding where a business sits in the stack is crucial for regulatory compliance, legal and commercial risks,” she says.

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“SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. 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.

The EU Data Act represents a fundamental change in how data will be shared, controlled and accessed across industries. Yet “you might not have heard much about this Act in the headlines,” says host Deborah Kirk. To help listeners understand this impactful law, she invites Skadden colleagues Alistair Ho (Cybersecurity and Data Privacy) and Emily Griffin (Intellectual Property and Technology) to share their insights. The team explores why response to the act has been muted, how it differs from precious data-focused legislation and what businesses need to do to comply with its provisions.

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“SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. 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.

In the second episode of “Bytes,” Skadden’s newest podcast, Akvile Jaseviciute breaks down the difference between unimodal and multimodal AI systems and why understanding this distinction is foundational to managing legal risk. As she explains, unimodal AI processes one type of data, like text or images. Multimodal AI, on the other hand, combines multiple data types, introducing complex licensing, data provenance, and IP infringement risks. Akvile also describes how the EU AI Act treats these systems differently: Multimodal models are more likely to be classified as general-purpose AI, which “can mean extra transparency documentation and copyright safeguards.”

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“SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. 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.

Skadden’s IP and Technology team in London kicks off its series of bite-sized insights about key issues shaping the tech landscape. In the first episode of “Bytes,” Emily Griffin demystifies open source software (OSS) and copyleft licensing—a topic that frequently catches companies unprepared. While OSS forms the backbone of modern tech stacks and powers everything from infrastructure to AI models, many licenses come with conditions that can create unexpected legal obligations. Emily explains the crucial distinction between permissive licenses like MIT and Apache, which impose minimal requirements, and copyleft licenses like GPL, which impose stronger obligations. Tune in to learn the three essential steps that can protect you from breaching license terms.

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“SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. 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.

The Getty Images v. Stability AI case represents a pivotal moment at the intersection of intellectual property and generative AI. To unpack this landmark litigation, partner Deborah Kirk talks with Alistair Ho and Jonathan Stephenson, her London-based colleagues on Skadden's IP and Technology team. The trio lays out Getty's allegations against Stability AI, including claims that Stability AI used millions of Getty's copyrighted images without authorization to train its AI, and allowed users to create similar images — sometimes even replicating Getty's watermark. They note that Getty has shifted its legal strategy from broad copyright claims to more targeted trademark and secondary infringement arguments.

Beyond the immediate legal dispute, the case brings into focus the evolving relationship between creators and tech companies. It also raises important questions about the adequacy of existing institutional frameworks to address the challenges posed by AI and intellectual property.

The discussion highlights the broader implications: a win for Stability AI could make it easier for companies to use publicly available data for AI training, while a win for Getty could set stricter standards for licensing and due diligence in the industry.

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“SkadBytes” is presented by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. 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.