As Big Law’s relationship with generative artificial intelligence hits a yellow light at the intersection of caution and optimism, some in the legal tech community question how much of the caution is motivated by commitment to a profitability model dependent on high leverage and hourly billing.

Meanwhile, some leaders in legal tech and Big Law say they don’t see AI-powered tools displacing the billable hour model but rather enabling lawyers to provide more bang for a client’s hourly buck.