Artificial intelligence in the legal sector: pressures and challenges of transformation
Open accessAbstract
Recent technological developments in automation and artificial intelligence (AI) promise to disrupt the very foundations of how legal work is practised and delivered. Yet how they challenge current business models, where they encounter resistance and how the benefits of AI can be realised remain unexplored. Drawing on interviews with professionals in the UK legal services sector, the article highlights how technological and market pressures combine to challenge the business models of legal services firms. However, the findings reveal important cultural and structural challenges that hamper transformation. The article extends the debate on technological disruption in legal services through a focus on business model innovation as a tool that can support firms in the sector to reimagine legal services provision.
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Human skills can be complemented rather than copied by automated processes, with machines taking charge of routine aspects of the job.
“Finally, human skills can be complemented rather than copied by automated processes, with machines taking charge of the routine aspects of the job (Autor 2014;Brooks et al. 2020;Alarie et al. 2018;Ekbia and Nardi 2017).”
From Artificial intelligence and work: a critical review of recent research from the social sciences (2024) · cites this paper as Brooks et al. 2020
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Artificial intelligence and work: a critical review of recent research from the social sciences
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- Authors
- Brooks, C., Gherhes, C., & Vorley, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Brooks, Chay
- Venue
- Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2020-01-27
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 135-152
- ISSN
- 1752-1378 (ISSN-L)
- 1752-1386
- OpenAlex
- W3003285234
- Cited by
- 87
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 23.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion)
- Radar (Oxford Brookes University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/R501207/1)
- National Productivity Investment Fund (ES/S010475/1)
- Innovating Next Generation Services through Collaborative Design
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Artificial Intelligence in Law
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Artificial Intelligence Applications
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › General Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Digital Transformation in Law
- Keywords
- artificial intelligence, legal services, business model innovation, technological disruption, legal practice, automation, resistance to change, legal profession, business model transformation
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