In an article published by Bloomberg Law, Katten chief Innovation officer Andrew Sprogis and senior innovation and data science manager Matthew Dunne wrote that while "the possibilities seem endless" when developing and leveraging generative artificial intelligence (AI) to meet clients' needs, it is helpful to look beyond the hype to achieve one's ultimate goals. Some principles for law firms to consider when seeking broader AI acceptance by clients are:

  • Success ultimately depends on solving a problem people actually have. This drives product market fit and adoption.
  • Usually, the underlying problem is acute and immediate, such that your early adopter is willing to try just about anything.
  • Software is never perfectly conceived, implemented and scaled before a single customer uses it.
  • You can get insight into the particular workflow problems of a law firm from inside the law firm.

"The key is for law firms to use AI to solve real problems when other tools don't quite meet their needs. Technology should be useful, not sophisticated. Intelligence can augment decision-making even if it doesn't mimic human cognition." If law firms can combine this with legal analysis of large data sets, it will be very interesting to clients.

"Gen AI Drives Law Firm Innovation, But Clients Must Come First," Bloomberg Law, December 19, 2023