The commercial launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 sparked a resurgence of interest in the potential for artificial intelligence to automate, optimize and revolutionize traditional processes in virtually every area of business. Enthusiasm for AI and large language models underscores a pivotal moment for legal technology in general and eDiscovery in particular. While the legal industry moved slowly in accepting “early” technology-assisted review workflows, interest in adopting generative AI is strong. A recent survey about the uptake of AI in legal environments reveals a robust appetite for AI implementation to optimize legal operations. Key findings include:

  • A majority (60%) of respondents see AI as a liberator of time for higher-value work.
  • Over half (55%) believe AI boosts in-house legal team productivity.
  • Automation of manual tasks, seen by 41% as a significant productivity boon, underscores AI’s potential to transform tedious aspects of legal work.
  • 49% of professionals view AI as a tool for simplifying complex, error-prone processes.

As we embrace a new generation of AI-powered tools and workflows, the leading practices discovery professionals have established for measuring quality and pairing the right tools with the job will be valuable to the broader legal community. Recalling our path to adoption with “first generation” AI solutions can help us confidently adopt modern AI solutions.

A Decade of AI in eDiscovery to Build On