5 Things Legal Organizations Are Doing to Prepare for Generative AI
While there’s been a lot of noise surrounding generative AI and its potential to transform the legal industry, there hasn’t been as much space dedicated toward the real, actionable ways legal teams are preparing to implement it into their practice.
The 2024 Ediscovery Innovation Report, recently released by Everlaw and ACEDS, highlighted many of the ways in which legal professionals are thinking about generative AI, and demonstrated how adoption rates are rising rapidly. This was especially clear among those with their ediscovery software deployed on the cloud, as they’re often known as innovators in the legal technology space.
Here are some further insights from the report, along with how those advanced legal organizations are preparing for the generative AI future.
Start with a Foundation
Many leading organizations are already taking steps to prepare for the generative AI era. According to the report, 74% are implementing a generative AI policy, which is a crucial step in building a foundation for generative AI adoption.
A cohesive policy can help guide employees in their use of generative AI, and serve as a point of reference when going through the vendor selection process.
Additionally, with 63% of respondents training employees on how to use generative AI in their work, and 60% actively using generative AI tools, it’s clear the adoption of this technology is only going to grow, meaning the time is now to provide the necessary support.
Prioritize Partnerships
Creating a genuine partnership is another important step in building a cohesive approach to generative AI. No one side should be dictating the terms, or having to figure everything out by themselves, and creating transparency should be a priority.
Our report saw the majority of respondents agree that a set of clearly defined AI principles was one of the most important factors when choosing a generative AI provider. Additionally, 71% want to be involved in the generative AI adoption process, which is critical to finding a tool that can meet the needs of your entire organization.
It’s clear that organizations want more than just results, and that a principled, human-centered approach is the most effective way to implement generative AI at your organization.
Find a Solution That Works
Generative AI does not entail a one-size-fits-all approach. What works for one organization might not work for another. This is where it’s important to build on that partnership with your provider, and really drill down into your organizational needs.
For example, while some might want to leverage generative AI to increase the efficiency of their team, others might want its help in delivering greater client value.
Seventy-five percent of respondents said that proven results were most important to them in a generative AI provider, showing that above all else, this technology ultimately needs to perform for organizations to actually find value in it.
Whatever your generative AI needs are, your provider should have the processes and training in place to help make it happen.
Scale Effectively
If you aren’t familiar enough with generative AI to use it on active matters, you don’t have to dive in head first. You can start small, either practicing with it on older material, or on more low-stakes tasks, and scale up from there.
For example, according to the report, the majority of respondents feel most comfortable using generative AI on things like foreign language translation, document review, and creating deposition summaries.
While these tasks are still important to legal work, they don’t hold as much importance as some of the lower-weighted responses, like writing first drafts of arguments and answering open-ended questions about documents. Starting small and getting comfortable with generative AI will allow you to scale your use of it effectively.
Invest in Education
By and large, the results from the 2024 Ediscovery Innovation Report showed that what legal professionals want most when it comes to generative AI is education.
Over two-thirds of respondents want training on how to use generative AI in their work and better education around generative AI. They want to know how to use it, where they can leverage it most effectively, and for their organizations to take responsibility for keeping up with the latest developments surrounding it.
This is especially relevant when considering 68% of respondents feel the legal profession isn’t prepared for the impacts of generative AI. Training and education will be imperative in ensuring generative AI tools are leveraged efficiently.
Human-Centered Implementation
Successfully adopting generative AI starts with placing humans at the center.
While this technology is incredibly powerful and can perform many tasks at once, it’s still a tool that should be used carefully and responsibly. It is not meant to replace legal professionals, but rather supplement and enhance the work they’re already doing.
Evaluating your organizational needs, prioritizing a trustworthy provider, starting small, investing in education, and adopting a generative AI policy are just a few ways leading organizations are preparing for their own generative AI journeys. Ultimately, it’s about what makes the most sense for your team, and how you can most effectively meet those needs.
If you’re interested in learning more about EverlawAI, request a demo today.
