Extract from Stephen Embry’s article, “AI Use In Law Firms: There’s Reality. And There’s What Management Wants It To Be.”
Visier sees a pattern of visible compliance over real AI adoption and integration.
Haven’t you heard? Everyone is using AI. All the time. Depending on which survey you read, somewhere between half and nearly 70% of lawyers and legal professionals are using AI.
But I sometimes wonder about those surveys. Many are commissioned by vendors selling Gen AI and AI products. So, it’s in their interest that the numbers appear high. That’s not to say that they are being purposely misleading, but we all know the way you ask the survey question can influence the answer. And it’s hard to know what is really going on in offices behind closed doors versus what people say is going on. So a little skepticism is in order.
And there’s another thing. When I go to speak at or attend conferences, I typically engage the room about AI use. And the number of hands raised by those admitting use always seems to be substantially less than what the surveys suggest. It’s anecdotal, but I attend enough conferences and speak at enough conferences that it’s noticeable.
