Affinity Consulting Group recently contributed a timely article to Attorney at Work, addressing some of the most pervasive myths surrounding the use of AI in the legal profession. While artificial intelligence tools evolve rapidly, misconceptions remain about their capabilities, risks, and appropriate use. Here are a few key takeaways:

𝙈𝒚𝙩𝒉: 𝘼𝑰 𝒘𝙞𝒍𝙡 𝙧𝒆𝙥𝒍𝙖𝒄𝙚 𝙡𝒂𝙬𝒚𝙚𝒓𝙨.
Reality: Tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT can streamline administrative tasks, but they lack the legal reasoning, contextual understanding, and ethical judgment required to practice law. These technologies are here to assist—not replace—legal professionals.

𝑴𝙮𝒕𝙝: 𝑶𝙣𝒍𝙮 𝙩𝒆𝙘𝒉 𝒆𝙭𝒑𝙚𝒓𝙩𝒔 𝒄𝙖𝒏 𝒖𝙨𝒆 𝑨𝙄.
Reality: Many lawyers are already engaging with AI through tools like Outlook and Word, which integrate AI functionality seamlessly. No specialized training is required to begin leveraging these efficiencies.

𝑴𝙮𝒕𝙝: 𝑼𝙨𝒊𝙣𝒈 𝑨𝙄 𝙥𝒖𝙩𝒔 𝒚𝙤𝒖 𝒂𝙩 𝙧𝒊𝙨𝒌 𝒘𝙞𝒕𝙝 𝙩𝒉𝙚 𝘽𝒂𝙧.
Reality: The ABA and several state bars have issued guidance supporting the ethical use of AI, emphasizing the importance of oversight, confidentiality, and professional discretion.

As AI becomes more embedded in legal workflows, it’s essential to approach it with informed caution, balancing innovation with ethical responsibility. Be driven by practicality and innovation when embracing AI tools, not fear.

Article Link: https://bit.ly/42V3ZVe

Everyone seems to be in the market for generative AI tools, and the legal industry is no exception. Thanks to the legal solutions directory and advisory company Legaltech Hub (LTH) for compiling and updating all offerings incorporating generative AI. The interactive snapshot features 505 GenAI products across 18 categories — a mind-boggling number, especially from a buyer’s, training, and support perspective.

Since the AI map’s latest update in February, AI legal assistant, contracts, litigation, and research have been the most popular GenAI solutions. The categories that saw the most significant relative growth (by percentage) were People (+400%), Compliance, eDiscovery, and Legal Ops (all +50%).

Undoubtedly, the pace of innovation will continue to accelerate, with more providers and AI ‘point solutions’ entering the fray before the market self-corrects and mass consolidation follows. According to LTH, the interactive GenAI Legal Tech map will be updated quarterly, with the next version expected in late June 2025.

Interactive Shapshot: https://lnkd.in/eD8wJATS

The European Union’s AI Act, enforced since August 2024, reshapes workplace requirements and puts AI literacy in the spotlight. A recent KnowBe4 post highlights a key mandate: Organizations must provide adequate AI training to staff and operators. This training must consider technical expertise, experience, educational background, and the specific context in which AI systems are used.

How is your organization preparing for these new compliance and skill-building requirements as AI becomes integral to business operations?

Without a clear definition of “adequate” AI training, KnowBe4 offers best practices to guide organizations in building effective AI literacy programs. Since one size does not fit all, training should be tailored to include technical, administrative, and nontechnical staff and company leadership. But AI literacy isn’t just about compliance—its value lies in fostering a strong security culture that safeguards the organization and its employees.

By implementing comprehensive, role-based training beyond baseline compliance, companies can proactively shape an AI-driven future—starting today.

Link to Overview of the European Union’s AI Act: https://lnkd.in/evXkP3KV

AI Anxiety: Is It Real? A recent post from Attorney at Work explores a growing concern in the legal industry: AI anxiety. While generative AI (GenAI) adoption among law firms and in-house legal teams continues to make headlines, hesitation remains.

According to a recent Thomson Reuters survey, 85% of respondents believe adopting AI will require learning new skills and taking on new roles. Additionally, 71% recognize that integrating AI demands adapting to change. The reality? There’s no turning back when it comes to GenAI. The good news: The article offers practical tips to make the transition to AI smoother and less stressful. Feeling comfortable with AI starts with understanding the unique challenges law firms and corporate legal departments face—and how AI can help resolve them. As the author aptly states, “𝐴𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢.”

When legal professionals become comfortable infusing their work with AI, discussions about its role and potential become more natural and productive. Like any new technology, success with GenAI hinges on providing proper training. One essential focus area is developing proficiency in prompt writing to engage with GenAI successfully. The article introduces BARCODE, a helpful acronym designed to support legal professionals in crafting effective prompts.

AI is here to stay—understanding how to work with it, not against it, is the way forward.

Attorney at Work Post Link: https://lnkd.in/eXnkBYht

Last week’s insightful Fast Company article discusses the rise of AI literacy. It explores how consumers, educators, employers, and even legislators push for a greater understanding of AI. The article suggests that the goal isn’t to “fix” AI but to understand its shortcomings and use it effectively. Sound familiar? It’s like the early days of the internet, where we learned to evaluate sources like Wikipedia. Experts suggest starting with AI tools in your field to recognize their potential and limitations. Pair hands-on experience with guidance from trusted, unbiased sources, and you’re on the path to AI fluency.

Article Link: https://lnkd.in/djasPUq6

Thomson Reuters’ “Alternative Legal Services Providers (ALSP) 2025 Report,” the latest in a series of biennial reports by the Thomson Reuters Institute tracking the evolution and growth of the ALSP market, is now available for download. https://lnkd.in/d_dWRBPx

The 2025 edition of the ALSP market report reveals that the industry has expanded to an estimated $28.5 billion, marking an 18% growth compared to 2023. Currently, 57% of corporate law departments leverage ALSPs for various services, from flexible resourcing to e-discovery and litigation support. However, many in-house teams continue to adhere to traditional models.

Law firms increasingly integrate ALSPs into their service delivery, particularly those operating their affiliated ALSPs. Notably, firms with affiliated ALSPs are far more likely to engage with independent ALSPs—62% of such firms do so, compared to 23% of firms without affiliates.

For corporate law departments, the primary motivation for turning to independent ALSPs remains cost efficiency, as expense management remains a key pain point that ALSPs help address.

The 31-page report also explores Generative AI trends and highlights emerging market opportunities for law firms and ALSPs.

Stay tuned; we’ll explore key findings further over the next few weeks.

It’s no surprise that legal departments are rapidly adopting AI for contract review. LegalOn Technologies’ 2025 State of Contracting Survey cites a technology transformation in its early stages, with contract review AI usage rising 75% year-over-year. Many in-house teams seek ready-to-use solutions with pre-built playbooks, while others want to turn their playbooks or templates into AI review. With nearly half of legal teams maintaining formal contract review playbooks, the opportunity to save time and increase productivity is tangible. 69% of all survey respondents see considerable time savings, faster turnaround times, and reduced tedious work due to leveraging AI in contract review. 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝟖-𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/gic82mjM

Spatial computing is merging the physical and digital world in unprecedented ways, opening up new possibilities for training. For lawyers and legal professionals, this technology could allow junior lawyers to hone their skills in a risk-free environment, leading to improved real-world performance.

The legal field continues to refine its use of AI. Law firms are shifting away from large language models to smaller, more specialized models trained on limited internal data sets, often drawn from their document management systems.

The demand for IT talent remains challenging for companies, including law firms and in-house legal teams. As noted at a recent CES session, “As both traditional and generative AI capabilities grow, every phase of tech delivery could see a shift from ‘human in charge’ to ‘human in the loop.'” This evolution demands a new role and skill set for legal IT professionals.

According to Deloitte, AI empowers businesses to quickly retrieve and analyze key information about clients, costs, and revenue. Legal departments must invest in AI to maximize the value of their internal data and optimize their core business functions.

Late last year, the popular legal tech blog LawSites published its annual “40 Most Popular Legal Tech Stories of 2024″ post based on article clicks. Per author and industry luminary Bob Ambrogi, 24 of the top 40 stories involved generative AI in some way—”whether they were stories about gen AI products, gen AI studies, or gen AI screw-ups, they drew readers’ attention and interest.”

Headlines about major AI products, such as CoCounsel and Harvey, made the list. Notable AI studies, such as Stanford’s analysis of AI legal research tools and Clio’s trends in AI adoption, were also included. Beyond AI, other popular stories included Clio’s record-setting raise of $900 million, an article series on the consolidation of ownership of law practice management products, and essays on the justice gap in legal tech. Ambrogi also explored whether a gen AI divide exists between larger and smaller law firms.

What legal tech trends do you think will dominate 2025?

Post link: https://lnkd.in/gSBaNpPW

LawSites: https://www.lawnext.com/