The first generation of generative AI has changed expectations almost overnight. Lawyers can ask questions in natural language, summarize documents in seconds, and generate first drafts that once required hours of work.
But history suggests we're still early in the technology's evolution.
In Law.com, Rudy DeFelice compares today's AI landscape to the early days of internet search. Those tools fundamentally changed how people found information, but they also laid the foundation for entirely new ways of working.
We're in the Ask Jeeves phase of generative AI.
That perspective shifts the conversation away from today's features and toward what comes next.
Looking beyond AI as a productivity tool
For law firms and law departments, the next challenge isn't simply adopting more AI tools. It's understanding how AI will reshape workflows, operating models, and the way legal services are delivered.
As AI becomes more capable, organizations will need to decide where technology creates the greatest value, where human judgment remains essential, and how governance evolves alongside new capabilities.
The firms that benefit most from AI will be the ones that rethink how work is organized and build the processes, skills, and operating models to support it.
This is a summary of an article available through Law.com.
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