The lack of consensus about how law firms should be embracing generative artificial intelligence came into focus Wednesday at a Legalweek panel on ethical deployment of the emerging technology in litigation, with a partner at the U.S.’s most profitable law firm highlighting a timid approach in comparison to the guarded enthusiasm shared by a partner at one of the country’s largest labor and employment shops.
The “risk-averse” Kirkland & Ellis is a “late adopter” of generative AI, said litigation partner Vanessa Barsanti, who leads the firm’s e-discovery practice. While the firm is testing new tools with clients, Barsanti said finding the right time and place to justify the risks of generative AI is taking time.
