Top in Tech

On this week's episode of Top in Tech, Directors Adriana Capparelli and Megan Stagman explore what DeepSeek means for questions of US AI supremacy, the efficacy of export restrictions, and whether we might see more on open source in the months to come.  They also predict what the future for DeepSeek might hold, and how it will interact with existing and forthcoming regulatory frameworks around safety, data protection, intellectual property and more. 

Ana Gradinaru, Director and Jack Keevill, Associate Director in our Brussels office explore the recent developments surrounding social media regulation in the EU, particularly focusing on the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the reactions from major tech figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.  They highlight the implications of the DSA for online platforms, the investigations launched against them, and the political dynamics within the EU institutions as they navigate the challenges posed by big tech. They also share their predictions for future developments in this ongoing issue.

This week on Top in Tech, Director Megan Stagman and Senior Practice Director Conan D'Arcy predict what we should expect as the biggest global tech policy trends for 2025. They explore the growing rift between American tech companies and European policymakers (and what the future might hold for the Musk-Trump alliance), consider where we might see more tech multilateralism as opposed to increasing divergence, and discuss what the emerging technology of the year might be - with satellites, digital ID and quantum all possible contenders. 

This week on Top in Tech, Director Megan Stagman and Senior Associate Josh Bates explore the UK communications regulator Ofcom’s recently published illegal harms codes and the regulator’s broader efforts to implement the UK’s new online safety regime. They also assess the extent of the appetite in both government and parliament for further regulation, and how geopolitics and international influence might shape the new trajectory.

In this episode of Top in Tech, Megan Stagman, Director and Ugonma Nwankwo, Senior Associate in our Tech, media and telecoms practice discuss the Biden administration’s new export restrictions aimed at limiting China’s access to advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, technologies critical for AI development and military applications.They break down the key features of the restrictions, potential loopholes and challenges that could lessen their impact, and what to anticipate from the incoming Trump administration on China and export controls. In response to the new restrictions, China moved to immediately restrict the export of critical raw materials to the US escalating the tech war and exasperating trade tensions only a few weeks before President-elect Trump is set to take office. 

Conan D'Arcy, Senior Practice Director, and Adriana Capparelli, Director, unpack the Commissioner hearings taking place in Brussels, where prospective Commissioners have faced a grilling from Members of the European Parliament. They explore the performances of the digital Commissioners, what we have learned about the upcoming EU tech agenda and explore how the election of Donald Trump might collide with the EU's plans.

As AI uptake surges, policymakers and industry alike have woken up to the reality that its energy demand will soon outstrip the current number and capacity of data centres. However, there are significant obstacles to addressing this challenge, with concerns about insufficient grid connections, the emissions and energy efficiency of data centres, and opposition from local communities. This week on Top in Tech, Megan Stagman is joined by Natasha Dixon to discuss these challenges and some of the innovative commercial and policy solutions that will impact the future of AI. 

In this episode, Conan D'Arcy and Ugonma Nwankwo discuss the failure of California’s SB 1047, a bill aimed at mitigating the potential catastrophic risks posed by future advanced AI systems. They break down the bill’s key provisions, its overall significance, the reasoning behind Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto, and the broader implications for AI regulation in the US and globally. The debate around SB 1047 has highlighted divisions among industry stakeholders, including revealing which types of regulations some companies are open to and which they oppose—a dynamic that lawmakers at both the state and federal levels are watching closely.