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AI is evolving rapidly and offers unprecedented opportunities, but it also raises a range of important questions. While Belgian AI start-ups are capturing the attention of major players, its impact within legal teams remains limited for now.
Following an initial wave of fascination and experimentation with AI, we paused with a group of legal leaders to reflect on the current situation, challenges, and opportunities in their organisations.
We’re pleased to share the most important insights with you.
AI and the Structure of Legal Teams
A key question is whether the increasing use of AI will affect the number of legal roles or the way legal teams are structured.
During the workshop, most participants agreed that AI tools are unlikely to replace lawyers but rather support them. AI is mainly seen as a solution for partially automating repetitive and administrative tasks such as processing large volumes of data, contract analysis, and drafting standard documents.
According to participants, AI is not expected to cause significant downsizing of legal teams except perhaps in larger departments. This is because increasing regulatory complexity and compliance demands continue to make legal professionals indispensable.
AI can also free up legal teams to focus more on areas such as project management, acting as strategic business partners, and deepening specialisations in complex legal domains. Participants expect AI to help legal professionals shift their focus towards higher-value tasks.
While it was suggested that there may be a growing demand for senior profiles over junior ones, there’s no reason for juniors to fear for their positions. On the contrary: junior lawyers can play a key role in the implementation and use of AI tools within legal teams. Their strong digital skills make them ideally suited to drive adoption and integration of AI within organisations.
An interesting comparison was made to the evolution of digital skills. Once a standout skill on a CV, proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite is now a basic requirement. Similarly, fluency with AI tools is likely to become a standard expectation in the legal sector. Legal leaders will need to prioritise skills such as tech-savviness, IT fluency, legal operations, and critical thinking when building their teams.
AI tools will undoubtedly continue to transform the legal profession. While they may lead to a modest restructuring of legal teams, they primarily offer opportunities to enrich the role of legal professionals and increase efficiency. Legal teams will evolve by focusing more on strategic and specialist tasks, with junior lawyers playing a vital role in the adoption of AI technologies.
AI and the Use of External Consultants
The rise of AI also raises the question of whether legal teams will rely less on external consultants, such as law firms.
Indeed, there is an expectation that AI will enable legal teams to manage some tasks internally that were previously outsourced. This could reduce reliance on external consultants in specific areas and lead to more efficient budget use.
Some participants also pointed out that since law firms will also use AI to streamline their work, they should no longer charge the same fees as before, as less time is needed to complete the same tasks.
However, whether this will actually result in cost savings is uncertain. On one hand, using and implementing AI tools may create a need for new types of external consultants, such as technology experts, that were not required before. On the other, law firms may pass the costs of AI tools on to clients. While fewer hours may be billed for certain tasks, the hourly rate may increase due to investments in technology and training.
The Impact of New Regulations: AI Act, NIS2, and DORA
Digitalisation is accompanied by a wave of new regulations, from the GDPR in 2018 to the recent AI Act. These developments have a clear impact on companies, particularly their legal teams, whose workloads increase significantly during the rollout and compliance phases.
The impact of these regulations varies widely depending on the industry and company size. Large enterprises, especially in highly regulated sectors such as financial services, are more frequently targeted but typically have more resources to comply. Smaller companies are not always within scope, but when they are, the cost of implementation can be burdensome. This makes it challenging to convince management to prioritise compliance.
Although stricter EU regulations are often viewed as a competitive disadvantage compared to the US and Asia, participants didn’t always agree. By enforcing uniform standards on all players in the European market, a level playing field is created. This allows European companies to differentiate themselves through quality and reliability.
Use of AI Tools in Legal Teams
Participants agreed that AI tools have value in legal teams, but human interaction will remain essential. AI cannot consider context, such as the company’s environment, economic realities, or societal factors, to the same extent as an in-house legal professional. Participants were also hesitant about using AI for complex legal decision-making.
Currently, AI tools are primarily used to provide a first draft, translation, or inspiration when performing legal tasks, such as document creation or data analysis. Feedback on these tools was mixed, not all solutions made a strong impression. Nevertheless, the time saved allows legal professionals to concentrate on complex and strategic matters, contributing to higher job satisfaction and making the role more attractive.
It is important to remember that the quality of AI output depends heavily on the input provided by the user. Therefore, training in writing effective prompts is critical.
The Role of Legal in AI Tool Implementation
Companies are actively exploring which AI solutions can be used across departments. Opinions were divided on the role legal teams should play in this process. Some believe Legal should be involved in every AI-related decision; others feel Legal should act only in an advisory capacity.
Those in the first group emphasised the potential risks of AI tools. Some may conflict with legal requirements or raise ethical concerns. In their view, Legal is best positioned to assess these risks and should therefore play a key role in decision-making.
The second group argued that Legal should serve only as an advisor. Final decisions about implementing AI tools, they said, should rest with internal stakeholders such as IT, cybersecurity, or business units. In this view, responsibility for AI implementation is shared more broadly across the organisation.
Regardless of the specific role Legal plays, there was consensus that a compliance check is essential when implementing AI tools. Legal must ensure adherence to applicable laws and ethical standards.
Legal teams can also provide a broader framework by developing guidelines, best practices, and policies that clarify how AI tools should be used across the organisation. An AI policy (still lacking in many companies today) can support governance and form the basis for training and mentoring.
Still, AI implementation is a multidisciplinary process. In addition to Legal, IT and cybersecurity teams play key roles, especially when AI tools process confidential information or large data sets. Some organisations already have an AI council in place, bringing together representatives from Legal, IT, and other departments to address AI-related challenges collectively.
Would you like to be kept informed about our exclusive events for legal leaders in the future? Feel free to send your contact details to my colleague Stéphanie at stephanie.verhaegen@youconnect.be.
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