Laboratory
Anticipating the future : our innovation laboratory
The FIRSH Lab is the first research laboratory dedicated to examining the legal, economic and societal impact of technology to be integrated within a business law firm.
The growing digitisation of society has deep implications for social and societal practices, norms, public policy and international balances of power. Digital technologies also raise many ethical questions, and it is necessary to better understand the transformations of law in light of these uses of digital technology and artificial intelligence.
Technologies, and digital tools in particular, require entire areas of law and the way legal professions are practised to be adjusted, so as to support a new society, and clients, in an ethical and sustainable manner.
To provide legal support for these transformations, law and innovation must be connected through operational responses adapted to technological, economic, environmental and ethical challgences.
This transformation is also, above all, a human one.
The 21st century has a crucial need for leaders with a new awareness: humanist women and men capable of revealing this new dimension, giving us a vision of it and leadingus towards it.
Law firms are also faced with this transformation. We must also innovate in the governance models of business law firms, so as to be closer to and more aligned with our clients, to better understand their challenges and to assist them with excellence and kindness.
This is why we have decided to create an innovation laboratory within the firm: a genuine space for work and action, designed to provide tested solutions to various societal, organisational, scientific and technical issues connected with legal and societal innovation.
Our White Paper
Each year, FIRSH LAB publishes a White Paper entitled: “Untangling Truth from Fake in the Age of Deepfakes: Is it still possible?”
Through this reference work, the firm has established itself as a leading actor in the analysis and prevention of the malicious uses of deepfakes – synthetic media generated by artificial intelligence systems – actively contributing to the structuring of the legal, regulatory and judicial debate on these practices.
This White Paper is the result of collective work bringing together French and international experts on the subject. It formulates concrete recommendations based on an in-depth analysis of French law and comparative law.
It is addressed first and foremost to public authorities, with the aim of contributing to the strengthening of the existing legal framework, clarifying remedies for legal practitioners and proposing concrete tools to prevent harm and protect users and victims.
It is also intended for our clients – business leaders, creators, actors in the creative and technology industries – as well as public officials, public figures and, more broadly, anyone who may be affected.
The threat posed by deepfakes cuts across all areas of contemporary society, affecting public figures and private individuals alike.
FIRSH LAB’s scientific methodology
- Define and understand the technology at stake.
- Situate the technology within history.
- Identify the issues for society as a whole, including society, companies and individuals.
- Integrate the cognitive dimension of how society and individuals accept technology.
- Analyse the existing legal regime in light of the issues identified.
- Analyse different legal regimes.
- Anticipate and propose the regulation of tomorrow.
- Develop concrete legal and practical recommendations for public authorities, legal entities and individuals, in order to protect the rule of law and society.
Our contributions
FIRSH is regularly called upon for its pioneering and forward-looking positions, providing insight and analysis on the legal impact of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence.
The firm has notably contributed to:
- Data for Good – The impacts of the use of generative AI.
- MPACT IA & Cercle InterL – “What regulation requires and how enterprises can put it into action”, on potential biases in AI systems.
- LSN Assurances, NeoTech and BDJ – The insurability of activities related to blockchain and crypto-assets.