Herbert Smith Freehills launches academy to help businesses understand emerging technology
updated on 13 June 2023
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Herbert Smith Freehills LLP is launching an Emerging Tech Academy, which is designed to help businesses understand the latest and greatest in the tech world.
The programme will primarily support in-house professionals to develop their knowledge of advanced technologies and the implications these technologies might have on the business world.
The firm hopes to use the academy as a vehicle through which to help clients gain insights into the opportunities and risks associated with new technologies, including, but not limited to, AI, blockchain, digital assets and the metaverse.
The programme will supply a foundation-level understanding that attendees can build on with further learning across five separate sessions. The first session will run from June 2023, with a focus on AI and machine learning.
This foundation of knowledge will be followed up by four collaborative sessions exploring:
- generative AI;
- the nuances and novel functionality of blockchain technology;
- how organisations can navigate the evolving area of cryptoassets; and
- what the metaverse could mean for the future of business.
The firm has outlined what participants can expect from the sessions, including live demonstrations of how these emerging technologies work, followed by time for participants to develop their understanding of the dangers these can pose to businesses and society more generally.
Alexander Amato-Cravero, regional head of Herbert Smith Freehills' emerging technology group, commented: "Realising the potential of emerging technologies requires an appreciation of their opportunities and risks in the round, yet all too often their technological complexity stands in the way of success. We’ve launched this course to cut through the hype, demystify the tech, and give in-house professionals from all functions a common foundation from which to build."
The launch of the academy comes after the success of Herbert Smith Freehills' recent digital law course, which afforded aspiring lawyers an introduction to new and emerging technologies.
