When AI writes the laws: UAE’s bold move forces a rethink on compliance and human touch

The United Arab Emirates has taken a bold step by becoming the first country to officially use AI to help draft, review, and update its laws.

Announced during a Cabinet meeting led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the initiative introduced a new Regulatory Intelligence Office powered by an advanced AI system. This system will bring together federal and local laws, court rulings, government procedures, and public service data into one massive platform to track the real-time impact of laws on society and the economy.

The goal is to speed up lawmaking by up to 70% by letting AI handle the heavy lifting, from analysis to implementation. The system will keep suggesting legal updates as things change and new data comes in. 

“This new legislative system, powered by AI, will change how we create laws, making the process faster and more precise,” Sheikh Mohammed said, according to state media. The move builds on the UAE’s AI strategy launched in 2017 and its early decision to appoint the world’s first Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Omar Sultan Al Olama. The AI system will also collaborate with global research centers to ensure best practices while aligning laws with local values.

Across the world, governments are turning to AI to get things done faster and smarter—from the US upgrading old systems to the UK testing tools like “Red Box” to simplify public services and reduce red tape. But the UAE is going further.

While others use AI to support existing workflows, the UAE is giving AI a more active role in shaping laws themselves. It’s a bold move that could reshape how governments — and businesses — think about regulation, compliance, and the future of legal systems.

Paving the way for smarter compliance

The UAE’s new AI system marks a major shift for businesses facing complex regulations. With the global AI legal tech market set to grow from $1.2 billion in 2024 to $3.5 billion by 2030, there’s a clear demand for automation in tasks like eDiscovery and regulatory reporting, according to Grand View Research.

In the UAE, where rapid economic growth is a priority, AI is set to play a critical role. Manish Bahl, Founder and CEO of Curious Insights, sees a clear path: “Over the next five years, AI will automate compliance monitoring, deliver real-time risk alerts, and simplify due diligence, helping organizations stay ahead of regulatory changes.”

However, as AI enters the legal space, experts caution that integration must be done thoughtfully. Ekhlaque Bari, AI Strategy Consultant at Minfy Technologies and a former CIO, stresses that if legal systems aren’t central to a business, AI-driven tools can still serve as standalone solutions for legal and contracting teams. But Bari also pointed out the challenge of balancing data security and privacy while keeping the system up to date with evolving laws.

Bari suggested that enterprise-owned small language models (SLMs), supported by vector databases, can help maintain legal accuracy while protecting sensitive data. This approach aligns with the UAE’s stringent data protection laws and offers a model for companies to implement standalone AI systems for legal teams without disrupting overall IT operations.

This was also a view echoed by Abhishek Ks Gupta, partner and national sector leader at KPMG in India, who advocated for the adoption of sandbox pilots to test AI solutions in controlled environments.

But ethics can’t be automated away

The UAE’s use of AI to speed up lawmaking is a bold move, but it also highlights just how crucial human oversight remains. Experts agree that humans need to keep their hands on the steering wheel.

While the system promises greater efficiency, it doesn’t run on algorithms alone. “AI can help with things like contract reviews or dispute resolution, but it has to be free from bias,” KPMG’s Gupta said. That’s especially important when AI is handling sensitive legal data under strict rules like GDPR. “Balancing transparency with confidentiality is critical,” he added.

Bahl agreed: “Governments need to build and manage AI with clear ethical boundaries — especially when it’s shaping laws that affect people’s lives.”

From a technology lens, Bari highlighted the use of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) frameworks paired with a “human-in-the-loop” approach. This would ensure people stay actively involved by guiding, reviewing, and refining AI outputs to maintain fairness and transparency.

As AI steps deeper into legal territory, it’s clear that businesses must balance efficiency with accountability, especially when handling sensitive data. “Humans still need to be in the driver’s seat,” Bari said, especially as security and trust become non-negotiable. In fact, 41% of CIOs now prioritise enterprise security, according to a recent Experis study.

Gupta said this shift cannot happen in silos. “Governments, tech firms, legal experts, and ethicists must work together to stay aligned with global norms like the EU AI Act and OECD principles.” It’s up to us to keep the human touch to ensure that technology truly benefits us all.