Few US legal professionals using or planning to use generative AI so far, survey finds
The survey finds that legal professionals are generally more aware than the general public of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT
Few legal professionals in the US are using or planning to use generative AI tools in their legal work, according to a survey conducted March 15-16 and published this week by legal technology firm, LexisNexis Legal & Professional.
The survey finds that legal professionals — the survey polled 1,176 U.S. lawyers and 1,239 law students — are generally more aware than the general public of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, with 88% of legal professionals having heard of them compared to 57% of consumers.
But of those legal professionals who are aware of these tools, 81% say they are not currently using them in their legal work. Just 2% of those legal professionals say they are using them daily and 9% say they are using them weekly.
The full survey report has yet to be published but is forthcoming, LexisNexis said.
Asked if they plan to use generative AI tools in their work, 68% of legal professionals say they have no such plans at this time, while 32% say they are researching and exploring opportunities.
Similarly, asked about the potential impact of generative AI on the practice of law, only 10% saw it as “transformative” and roughly half saw “some impact”:
Of the legal professionals who are using generative AI tools, the survey asked how they are using them. The most common way was for researching matters, followed by increasing efficiency and few (5%) said they used generative AI tools to develop litigation strategies.
Across the board, legal professionals express concern with the ethical implications of generative AI on the practice of law. All but 11% have some degree of concerns, while 28% express “significant” concerns, and another 6% say they will not use generative AI due to “fundamental” concerns.
Client Choice
The survey also asked both lawyers and corporate counsel about expectations around the use of generative AI. Overall, roughly 49% of lawyers agree their clients will expect them to use cutting-edge technology, including generative AI.
Even more, 63%, believe clients will expect to be made aware of their lawyers’ use of generative AI, and about 42% say clients should be given the choice about a firm’s use of generative AI.
On the corporate counsel side, 67% say they expect the firms they work with to use cutting-edge technology, including generative AI. Nearly three-quarters (73%) say they expect their firms to make them aware of the use of generative AI. 58% percent expect firms to give them a choice about the use of generative AI.
Some 16% of corporate counsel affirmatively do not want their firms to use generative AI tools.
The survey encompassed attorneys and legal professionals in firms of all sizes and a range of practice areas, although the majority of respondents were in firms of 50 or fewer attorneys.
