By now, unless your law firm is headquartered under a rock, the question of AI has arisen: to AI, or not to AI? However, as was discussed in this year's LegalWeek "Future State of the Industry" panel, a better question might be, why should you bring AI into your firm? Because your competition is using it? Because it might save you money? Because it might do something better than the way your firm currently does things? Because it might help your clients – and impress them? Because it might be important to potential lateral hires?

The truth is, any one of these is a valid reason to start using AI. What is less of a good reason to bring AI into your firm is simply for the sake of bringing AI into your firm. AI is a unique tool and one that most of us are on a learning curve with, quite frankly. We are in an experimental stage at this point very akin to the late 1980s/early 1990s when desktop computers first became widely available (for those of us old enough to remember). ALM's Pacesetter Research is focused on innovation in law, but innovation that has an impact, that makes a difference for clients. Innovation for its own sake is not just pointless, it can get in the way. Innovation is about solving problems, not admiring shiny new things.

So, how do we approach AI? It's everywhere. Whether you know it or not, you have probably already interacted with AI in some form today multiple times. How can you make it work for you in your firm? You can do online searches to see what other law firms are doing with AI, and by the way, you'll find that most think of AI as a cost (or time) saving tool. And they're not wrong – but can it do more for your firm? (Also, on a related note, will your clients soon start asking when you'll be passing those savings on to them? But that's another story.) And of course, there is the other reality that even if your firm hesitates with AI, your lawyers may not be. A Wolters Kluwer report in late 2023 found that 73% of lawyers planned on using it. What does that mean for your firm's risk profile and cyber security framework if some of your lawyers are already using AI in-house?