Artificial intelligence (AI) has many professionals worried they will soon be obsolete—lawyers included. While an AI Perry Mason isn't likely to be appearing in courtrooms anytime soon, some thought leaders throughout the legal space are understandably concerned that much of the research required within the profession—which translates into billable hours—may soon be accomplished by AI.

Whenever a new technology comes along, panic invariably sets in that it will "replace" something that came before—but that isn't necessarily the case (the century-old vinyl record making such a huge comeback, anyone?). The same could be said for search engine optimization (SEO), which has weathered many changes long before AI exploded onto the scene. As much as SEO engineers rely on lightning-fast technology, the fact remains that AI cannot replace the human element.