AI technology is bringing about significant changes in legal departments as they discover its practical benefits. Tasks that used to be tedious and time-consuming, such as contract processes and memo writing, are now being automated, transforming traditional workflows.
However, legal teams may encounter difficulties in adopting new technologies despite the potential advantages of these technological innovations.
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So, what makes adopting new tools such a contentious issue among legal teams? And what motivates this behavior in an environment where the need for these tools is ever-increasing?
Explaining the Resistance
One reason for this resistance lies in the inherent nature of the legal profession. A study by Deloitte suggests that lawyers’ innate negativity bias and ingrained skepticism, essential for success in identifying risks in their daily work, can limit their willingness to innovate.
Among other causes of low adoption, it is not rare to find different reasons, such as:
- Ethical considerations and reliability concerns: Legal professionals wrestle with the moral implications of AI, especially regarding data privacy and algorithmic bias. Moreover, concerns emerge regarding the reliability and explainability of AI decisions, especially in high-stakes legal matters.
- Job displacement: Automating legal tasks through AI understandably raises concerns about job security among legal professionals. This fear can hinder the acceptance and implementation of AI solutions. However, this is not the first time that technology has affected job positions in the legal sphere, and adapting to these changes opens the doors to new possibilities and better, more accurate procedures.
- Widespread, but untargeted use: Many legal professionals may already use AI daily without knowing it. These tools have become so integral to our daily procedures that we may not even know what platforms use them.
How AI is impacting Legal Departments
Artificial intelligence has created a buzz in the legal industry by offering a flexible approach to legal tasks, improving processes, and enabling legal practitioners to focus on strategic decision-making.
By analyzing large amounts of data and identifying patterns that would be hard for humans to detect, AI-powered tools can help legal professionals make more informed decisions and optimize their workflows.
This can transform how legal services are provided, making them more efficient, cost-effective, and accessible to a broader range of clients. In this context, it’s worth exploring the various ways in which AI is changing the legal landscape and the benefits it can offer to both legal practitioners and their clients. For example, AI accelerates clause extraction and organization, simplifying review with unparalleled efficiency.
Benefits of AI for Legal Teams
Legal professionals must handle large volumes of documents, contracts, and case-related information, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.
However, with the help of AI-powered tools and technologies, legal professionals can simplify their workflows, automate routine tasks, and focus on more complex and strategic work.
This can be particularly useful in various areas, such as:
- Extracting insights from contract data: AI can analyze large volumes of contracts, identifying key terms, clauses, and potential risks, enabling informed decision-making.
- Enhancing business strategy: AI-powered insights derived from legal data can inform strategic business decisions, such as market entry, product development, and risk management.
AI has the potential to revolutionize the legal industry by bringing increased efficiency, cost savings, and better risk management. With the right approach, legal departments can leverage AI to their advantage and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing legal landscape.
To learn more about how Zeal can help your legal team reach new heights, schedule a demo here.