The AI wave in law is not coming, it's already here … and it's already transforming law firms. Change happens faster than we predict. It is also happening more frequently. Consider, China is launching an online AI arbitrator this year. The United Nations wants to improve access to justice through AI judges and has been actively working on this for four years.

Traditional law has paved a trail of stagnation, but now that AI and ALSPs have broken into the industry, suddenly nothing is certain. My research on the NewLaw industry unraveled the two biggest sectors of Alternative Legal Service Providers; LPOs and Alternative Staffing Providers. Together, the two sectors cater perfectly to the legal market; one arm focuses on completing menial legal labour with cost effective outsourcing, and the other arm focuses on insourcing experienced legal talent for projects that necessitate expertise in a certain area. Soon though, these two arms will become one fully functioning limb, homogenizing the industry to achieve versatility and supersede the benefits of turning to a traditional law firm. It seems masochistic to abide by TradLaw standards when law firms and in-house counsels finally have the option to automate tasks or outsource/insource various legal work. We are seeing the tide of the legal-sphere turn, and I've made certain predictions as to who will stay afloat, and who won't.

Artificial intelligence (AI) looks to be the most disruptive class of technologies in driving digital business forward during the next decade. Yet, even amongst the most tech-savvy professionals, there is divided-opinion over what AI can or cannot be defined as, and what it can and can't achieve. The most exciting aspect of applying AI in the legal profession lies in the automation of repetitive and straightforward tasks, like eDiscovery or judicial bill review, while enabling human experts to improve results beyond what machines or people could do alone. This combination allows for enhanced productivity while driving significant time and resource savings. This piece will clarify what AI is, how it's being used today, and how it can improve legal operations -- now and in the future.

In fact, Gartner predicts that the market size of robotics process automation (RPA) alone is projected to reach $1.3B by the end of 2019. The concept of robotics is no longer limited to assembly lines in manufacturing, it is an overall technological approach that can have game changing impact for all workers in all industries. However, while there is palpable momentum for robotics, its adoption is still relatively nascent in legal operations, and for good reason. Today, most software robotics technology is focused on recording user actions and building task-based bots that perform repetitive tasks like data entry. While these bots can automate individual tasks, they don't have significant impact on processes as a whole, which require more advanced logic.

Artificial intelligence tools can draft contracts, write answers to legal complaints, or answer simple questions. They may not replace a lawyer's to-do list, but they could save time. Walmart and Nationwide Insurance are among the companies experimenting with how artificial intelligence tools can streamline their in-house legal departments and their work with outside counsel, and save money in the process. The use of more advanced data tools also is a growing cost-saving trend. That ultimately could drive law firms to change their thinking.

Artificial intelligence tools can draft contracts, write answers to legal complaints, or answer simple questions. They may not replace a lawyer's to-do list, but they could save time. Walmart and Nationwide Insurance are among the companies experimenting with how artificial intelligence tools can streamline their in-house legal departments and their work with outside counsel, and save money in the process. The use of more advanced data tools also is a growing cost-saving trend. That ultimately could drive law firms to change their thinking.

We've already written about using business case studies, whether your personality is too legal, the importance of eSignatures, and the nine ways the legal profession needs to change. We're now in our final article in our series based on learning from the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC) annual meeting. Ginger Dolgow, senior manager at NetApp, Tami Baddeley, operations lead at Microsoft, and Mike Naughton, senior manager at Cisco, all agree: though it is a highly hyped topic of conversation, artificial intelligence is, indeed, the future of legal operations. "The good news is that AI is more than hype and can offer strong returns on investment," they explain. "The bad news is that getting a solid return on investment in AI often requires a further investment of time and money. These solutions do not deliver as promised right out of the box."

Most of us are familiar with Google's moonshot projects that span everything from self-driving cars to AIs that can beat world champion GO players. Less well known are the ways that Google is re-inventing how it designs and optimizes its own internal operations. Let's be honest -- 'disruptive innovation' and the legal profession are not two ideas that frequently hang out together. However the role of the general counsel has changed quite dramatically over the last few years. Rather than just risk managers, they are increasingly business advisors to the CEO and to the board.