Minds & Machines: Navigating AI and the Law

In this episode of Minds & Machines, we break down America’s AI Action Plan. Barnes & Thornburg attorneys explore the plan’s three pillars — promoting innovation, protecting rights and safety, and advancing U.S. leadership abroad — and what they mean for businesses navigating the fast-changing AI landscape. From compliance and governance challenges to opportunities for growth, we examine how this landmark strategy will shape the future of AI regulation and adoption.

In this episode of Minds & Machines, host Nick Sarokhanian sits down with Keita De Souza, General Counsel of fintech startup Ryse. Keita shares her journey from BigLaw to startup life, the legal agility required in fast-paced tech environments, and how generative AI is reshaping workflows for in-house counsel. Tune in for insights on innovation, risk, and how lawyers can embrace new tools — without losing the fundamentals.

Minds & Machines welcomes Professor Daniel Schwarcz of the University of Minnesota Law School for a wide-ranging conversation on the role of AI in legal education, practice, and policy.

From AI-powered law school exams to empirical studies on legal work quality, Professor Schwarcz explores how AI is reshaping the profession—and why both skepticism and experimentation matter.

Tune in to hear what happens when “ChatGPT goes to law school” and why the next generation of lawyers must learn to think critically before relying on AI tools.

Startup advisor and founder of Ecos Anzhelika Kara dives into how generative AI is transforming industries — from smart shopping assistants to AI that builds AI. She shares inspiring stories from Armenia’s youth-led tech scene, her FinTech-to-AI career pivot, and why education must embrace AI, not fear it.

In the second episode of Minds & Machines, host Nick Sarokhanian shares some of the recent headlines related to AI, including the release of the industry’s first hybrid AI reasoning model, which includes reasoning abilities along with real-time information. 

Next, Nick is joined by Philip Johnson, the founder and CEO of Smover, an AI-powered platform that simplifies real estate, from search to sale. The two discuss Philip’s career in real estate and how AI can be utilized to ease the pain points of buyers, sellers, and agents.  

In the premiere episode of Minds & Machines: Navigating AI and the Law, host Nick Sarokhanian, chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s AI practice group, dives into the latest developments in artificial intelligence. He breaks down recent policy shifts under the new administration, the release of a cutting-edge open-source reasoning model, and key U.S. court rulings impacting AI. 

Later, Nick welcomes Seth Schachner, Managing Director of Strat Americas, a consultancy specializing in media and technology partnerships. The two reflect on their meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos and explore how AI is shaping the music and entertainment industries – impacting rightsholders, talent, and creators – while sharing insights on what to expect in the year ahead.