Over 40% of lawyers now use AI to accelerate their work

Despite growing use of AI in legal work, concerns persist over public tools producing fake information

New research reveals that over 40% of lawyers now use artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily work, citing the ability to complete tasks faster as the main benefit.

A survey of more than 800 UK legal professionals at law firms and in-house legal teams found that 41% planned to use AI for work “in the near future”, up from 28% the previous year. Meanwhile, only 15% of respondents have no plans to adopt AI, a significant drop from 61% the previous year.

In other findings from the research conducted by LexisNexis, 71% of lawyers cited faster delivery of legal work as a key benefit, followed by improved client service (54%) and gaining a competitive advantage (53%).

Over a third (39%) of respondents in private practice believe AI will require them to adjust their billing practices, with 17% suggesting it could signal the end of the billable hour model. Forty percent believe the billable hour model will remain, while 42% are uncertain about AI’s impact on it.

Elsewhere, 60% of firms or legal departments have made internal changes due to AI adoption. These changes include offering AI-powered products to staff (36%), developing policies on the use of generative AI (24%), and providing AI-related training for employees (18%).

While an increasing number of lawyers are using AI in their legal work, over three-quarters of respondents (76%) expressed concerns about public AI tools producing inaccurate or fabricated information. However, 72% indicated they would feel more confident using a generative AI tool that is based on legal content sources and includes linked citations to verifiable authorities.

Stuart Greenhill, senior director of segments at LexisNexis UK, commented:

“The possibility of delivering work faster has seen widespread adoption, internal integration, and regular use of generative AI across the legal sector. There’s also a strong demand for AI tools that are grounded on reliable legal sources. Yet the impact of this efficiency on the billable hour is becoming a topic of debate. As a result, the number of firms reconsidering pricing models has doubled throughout the course of 2024.”