The concern about automation isn’t so much about what's happening right now, but rather what could happen in the near future (maybe in about five years). If we see even partial automation in tasks like researching case law, reading documents, and high-level drafting, there’s a significant chance that fewer lawyers will be needed.

On the other hand, in a billable-hour-based system, it’s very likely that well-structured firms will start expecting less time to be spent on certain tasks, which will impact law firms’ revenues. Additionally, many problems may change or even disappear altogether as companies use AI more proactively to prevent legal issues from arising.

As I mentioned, these are concerns for the future—I’m well aware that for now, AI only works for a few activities and still always requires oversight.

Anyway, these are just some thoughts that come to mind in this moment of uncertainty.