15% of Large Firm Lawyers ‘Now Dependent on AI’

15% of lawyers at large law firms are ‘now dependent on AI’ to do their job, a survey by LexisNexis in the UK has found. For inhouse this dependency also stood at a notable 13% – indicating that legal AI has well and truly become embedded now across the profession. Plus, those numbers will only increase.

Moreover, 34% of the 500-plus lawyers surveyed said that they used AI tools for legal work every day, and 32% ‘multiple times per week’. So, around two-thirds of lawyers are really using AI frequently.

They also surfaced that the top three use cases are: drafting, legal research, and document review, which is to be expected.

Understandably, the vast majority were still concerned about a potential risk for hallucinations and errors from AI tools, and equally understandably many favoured AI systems that could provide reassurance around accuracy and the use of verified sources – something that the major legal data providers can do.

One other survey finding was that the majority also felt that AI use is leading to the general public, and their own clients, getting an incorrect understanding of legal issues – something that connects to yesterday’s survey by Justice about the wider use of chatbots.

What does this tell us?

It shows – especially on the usage and dependence points – that legal AI has become a critical part of many lawyers’ lives, in fact so much so that a notable number could not do their work without it.

Those numbers will only rise, meaning that legal talent will likely gravitate to those firms that support high levels of AI usage.

It also is manna from heaven for the legal AI companies, i.e. their customers are not going anywhere – and there will be more of them. There may be intense competition to control market share, but that market is only growing wider and deeper, it appears.

One side effect of heavy AI use is token costs. This area is still in flux, but quite clearly someone, somewhere has to pay for the token usage. Although, this is perhaps not a killer problem – and is a sign of a maturing market.

Overall, all very promising for the field of legal AI – although some may of course be concerned that an increasing number of lawyers would not want to do their work without AI in a supporting role. Others may say that this is to be expected, the same as many lawyers would want to have Microsoft Word, a computer, a desk and a chair….! Technology moves on, and so do expectations of what is normal to have.

You can find the LexisNexis survey and report here.

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Come and join us in London this November 4th + 5th at Legal Innovators! The conference at the intersection of legal AI and the business of law. Day One: law firms, Day Two: inhouse.

Legal Innovators UK – London, Nov 4 and 5