Thomson Reuters Survey: Over 95% of Legal Professionals Expect Gen AI to Become Central to Workflow Within Five Years

Thomson Reuters’ 2025 Generative AI in Professional Services Report highlights a significant increase in optimism among legal professionals regarding generative AI, with adoption rates rising from 14% in 2024 to 26% in 2025. While only 15% of law firms integrate generative AI centrally into their workflows, 78% believe it will become essential in the next five years.

Various surveys show differing adoption rates: the ABA reports that 21% of firms use legal-specific generative AI tools, while AffiniPay notes 31% usage among individual professionals and 21% organizationally. Smokeball indicates AI adoption among small and solo firms jumped from 27% in 2023 to 53% in 2024.

The sentiment towards generative AI has shifted from scepticism to excitement and optimism. The primary use cases are document review, legal research, and document summarization. However, challenges remain, as only 41% of firms have governance policies for AI, and only 40% provide staff training. 

The report stresses the importance of strategic implementation, including measuring results and establishing clear communication with clients about AI usage. The survey included 1,702 participants, with legal professionals making up 41% of the respondents.

Various surveys show differing adoption rates: the ABA reports that 21% of firms use legal-specific generative AI tools, while AffiniPay notes 31% usage among individual professionals and 21% organizationally. Smokeball indicates AI adoption among small and solo firms jumped from 27% in 2023 to 53% in 2024.

The sentiment towards generative AI has shifted from scepticism This has led to excitement and optimism, with the primary use cases being document review, legal research, and document summarization. However, challenges remain, as only 41% of firms have governance policies for AI, and only 40% provide staff training. 

The report stresses the importance of strategic implementation, including measuring results and establishing clear communication with clients about AI usage. The survey included 1,702 participants, with legal professionals making up 41% of the respondents.

source: LawNext

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