A few hours after Anthropic expanded access to new capabilities of its AI model, underscoring once again the extraordinary pace at which the technology is evolving, Israel's leading legal, cybersecurity, and technology professionals gathered for a conference hosted by Lipa & Co. law offices and the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Israel. One message resonated throughout the conference: Organizations are no longer asking whether to use AI. They ask how to do so while managing risk, safeguarding privacy, and establishing effective AI governance frameworks.
The conference, entitled "As AI Accelerates, Cybersecurity Doesn't Stay Behind," examined regulatory developments in Israel and globally, the emerging cybersecurity threats posed by AI systems, and the expanding role of legal counsel and chief information security officers (CISOs) in leading the responsible adoption of AI across organizations.
As technology races ahead, regulation changes course
The conference opened with remarks by Lipa & Co. partner and head of cybersecurity and AI Adv. Vered Zlaikha, who addressed the inherent gap between the pace of technological advancement and the ability of legal and regulatory frameworks to keep up. She said, "AI constantly evolves, its applications are expanding, and the threats are developing at an extraordinary pace. The legal and cybersecurity fields are continuously working to keep up with the technology."
Zlaikha highlighted the contrasting approaches to AI regulation. The US, she noted, has not adopted new comprehensive federal AI legislation, although several states have enacted AI-related laws. By contrast, the EU has adopted a broad regulatory framework through the AI Act.
Israel, she said, is expected to continue pursuing an approach that does not rely on broad, cross-sector AI legislation. Instead, it is to favor a framework based on risk management and sector-specific guidance issued by the regulators. "The prevailing approach is to encourage innovation, remain attentive to regulatory developments in jurisdictions that are significant to Israel, and foster a technology-friendly environment, while relying on existing contract, tort, privacy, intellectual property, and sector-specific regulation, with sectoral regulators exercising the discretion to adapt it as the technology evolves. In the current regulatory landscape, an AI governance program can help organizations manage risk and reduce potential exposure."
The cart outruns the horses: How AI Is reshaping cybersecurity
The conference continued with a panel on emerging cybersecurity threats, facilitated by Adv. Michal Bartov, Chief Legal Officer (CLO) at Code Blue and Chair of the ACC Israel Cyber Forum, focusing on how organizations can enable innovation without creating an uncontrolled increase in cybersecurity risk exposure.
Bartov noted that recent reports indicate a new generation of AI models has fundamentally changed the cybersecurity landscape. While previously organizations had days, or even weeks, to update their defenses against emerging threats, today the pace of attacks and defensive adaptations is measured in hours.
Gett CISO Avi Alon said, "It's like playing tennis against a robot firing a thousand balls at you - you simply can't keep up with that pace unless organizations fundamentally change the way they operate." Alon says the challenge is not purely technological. "The answer isn't just more security tools. It's policy. CISOs and legal counsel must collaborate to define what is allowed, and what is not; how risks are managed, and how the use of AI models is governed."
Telit CISO Itzik Menashe addressed the business pressure driving organizations to adopt AI tools despite the rapidly evolving threat landscape. He noted, "Corporate leaders are under tremendous pressure to integrate AI because they understand that those who fail to do so risk being left behind. The cart outruns the horses. There is no single technology or product that can address the full spectrum of cybersecurity risks. Organizations need a layered approach that combines multiple tools, invests in awareness, training, and budgets, and brings together every stakeholder - from executive leadership to IT, cybersecurity, and legal."
Yes to innovation - but with clear rules of engagement
A panel of senior legal counsel, facilitated by Adv. Vered Zlaikha, highlighted the evolving role of in-house legal teams in the AI era - focusing on the shift toward strategic advisory and enterprise risk management to help organizations adopt AI responsibly.
Grow VP and general counsel Adv. Hagar Rubinstein explained, "We realized that simply approving or rejecting AI tools is not enough. We needed to establish a process that helps the organization determine which tools are appropriate, under what conditions they can be used, and what level of risk each use case presents."
Monday.com director of legal, head of IP & product Adv. Lital Nof-Sabbag said, "Corporate leadership no longer expects us to explain why AI can't be used. They expect us to find the right way to use it. Our role is no longer limited to identifying risks; we also need to build the processes that enable responsible innovation."
Nokia Israel lead counsel Adv. Ora David Margalit added: "Our challenge is to stay continuously up to date, because this technology is evolving all the time. Agentic AI introduces an entirely new set of risks, and ultimately, we need to move forward together with all stakeholders across the organization while putting the right guardrails in place."
Bank Hapoalim head of legal, privacy & technology and legal counsel for products and development Adv. Maya Spivak Stein said, "We are learning on the fly. The underlying principles remain the same, but we constantly need to update our governance, risk management, and oversight mechanisms." According to Spivak-Stein, large, highly regulated organizations such as banks already have well-established risk management frameworks in place. However, the AI era requires those frameworks to be continuously adapted to a rapidly evolving reality, while engaging all relevant stakeholders in the learning and embedding process.
Innovation won't wait for regulation
Closing the conference, Adv. Zlaikha reiterated the key takeaways that appeared throughout the discussions: In a world where technology is advancing faster than regulation, organizations bear increasing responsibility for managing AI-related risks.
She concluded that as AI adoption continues to deepen, AI governance frameworks, human oversight, organizational policies, and employee training will become integral to day-to-day business operations. "Those who succeed in balancing innovation with effective risk management will be best positioned to realize AI's business potential safely and responsibly."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 31, 2026.
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