Whether it's machine learning, behavioral algorithms, suggestive or voice-recognized searches or autonomously powered self-driving vehicles, companies around the globe are using different forms of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve user-product experience. It should come as no surprise to find that corporate legal departments—and the outside firms on which they rely—are following suit.

The current reality for legal counsel across the board is striking a balance between shrinking budgets and increasing expectations from executives and shareholders. That's where advanced technologies have the greatest potential to empower in-house and outside counsel with a competitive edge: lessening that constant pressure to do more with less.

AI and machine learning are being seamlessly integrated into every aspect of a busy attorney's practice, from research to litigation, budgeting and transactional work. In particular, these advances are at last making it possible for corporate counsel to manage vast amounts of data within text-based documents—including millions of U.S. regulations, tens of millions of legislative bills and more than 14 million court case decisions—and turn that data into knowledge.