Corporate and Director Responsibility in the Era of Gen-AI

Melbourne Law School presents the 2026 Harold Ford Memorial Lecture, a public lecture by The Honourable Justice Andrew Bell AC, Chief Justice of New South Wales, on Corporate and Director Responsibility in the Era of Gen‑AI.

Since the public emergence of generative artificial intelligence in late 2022, organisations across sectors have rapidly incorporated AI tools into everyday business activities. While these technologies offer significant potential benefits, their use also raises complex legal, ethical, and governance questions, particularly for boards, directors, and officers subject to strict statutory duties.

This lecture will explore how the increasing availability and use of Gen‑AI challenges traditional approaches to corporate governance and compliance. It will examine the implications for how companies and their leadership can meet their legal obligations, exercise appropriate oversight, and remain accountable when decision‑making is informed or assisted by AI systems.

Most organisations are governed by boards and directors, whose responsibilities remain personal and non‑delegable, even as new technologies reshape how decisions are made. This lecture offers valuable insight for legal professionals, company directors, executives, students, and anyone interested in the intersection of law, technology, and corporate responsibility.