New research from Disco and Ari Kaplan reveals a striking contradiction in legal’s relationship with AI and eDiscvovery. While 70% of legal professionals recognize AI’s efficiency benefits, only 35% have actually incorporated it into routine processes.
Even more telling: 42% of law firms report zero external pressure to adopt AI solutions. .
The reasons for resistance? The usual : billable hour concerns, “perfect vs. good” thinking, and the classic “we’ve always done it this way” mentality.
Here’s why this matters: eDiscovery has historically been the proving ground for legal tech adoption. When court deadlines force efficiency over billable hours, innovation happens.
With 96% reporting increasing eDiscovery workloads and new data sources (including AI prompts and outputs), the pressure for change is building.
The irony? The same factors making lawyers resist change like time constraints and risk aversion, may ultimately force the adoption they’re avoiding.
Here’s my post for Above the Law.