The wave of cyberattacks and data breaches has turned information governance from a compliance afterthought into a required business function. Yet, despite well-publicized threats and skyrocketing costs associated with cyber incidents, most companies remain both underinsured and fundamentally underprepared.
A new generation of legal tech, including rapidly advancing AI and AI assistants, is introducing capabilities that don’t just automate individual steps. These tools act as proactive collaborators, intelligently navigating complex documents, surfacing key risks, applying context, and taking action. They’re helping legal teams move from manual to marvelous — and that transformation is happening faster than many realize.
No longer is legal risk management confined to checklists and backward-looking assessments. AI and OSINT are enabling legal professionals to anticipate, adapt, and act with greater speed and precision. But realizing the full potential of these tools requires more than technical integration. It demands a new operational mindset — one that prioritizes intelligence, agility, and continual learning.
The question this year: How should (or could) law firms be using AI as the technology stands today?
Results of our annual informal poll of tech experts at Legalweek: How law firms should (or could) be using AI as the technology stands today.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic idea for law firms; it is a rapidly evolving reality reshaping the way practices operate, offering law firms opportunities for greater efficiency, enhanced research capabilities and improved client service. However, as AI’s role in legal work expands, firms must adopt well-defined AI policies to protect client confidentiality, mitigate risks and ensure ethical compliance. Without a structured AI framework, law firms expose themselves to security breaches, malpractice risks and reputational damage.
While AI has many proven beneficial applications, there is a concerning trend emerging: an increasing number of disputes that are based on mimicry of distinctive brand identities without permission.
While the amount of AI legislation introduced in various states is relatively limited, the scope of issues being legislated is quite broad. Despite the many uncertainties that remain to be clarified, there are actually many parallels between how data privacy laws took shape five years ago, and how AI legislation is developing today.
In the fast paced world of commercial real estate, AI is emerging as a critical tool to increase efficiency, reduce costs and provide new opportunities. The infusion of AI into the real estate industry has the potential to change how properties are valued, managed and marketed.
The intersection of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency was involved in a recent decision where the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware dismissed claims against an alleged participant in a scheme that induced investors to fund over $30 million in an artificial intelligence company designed to generate revenue from enhanced cryptocurrency mining.
