Law firms embracing AI to transform legal work | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Law firms are embracing AI to transform legal work, a shift highlighted by Freshfields Labs’ collaboration with Volkswagen’s Cariad. Beginning in 2021, Freshfields developed an AI-enabled platform to run real-time global risk assessments for VW’s software updates across 100+ countries, updating automatically with regulatory changes and displaying results on an interactive map. The initiative signaled a broader industry move: firms now hire engineers and software specialists, integrate AI into day-to-day workflows, and license bespoke AI products to clients. As Drew Winlaw of Simmons+Simmons notes, this represents a radical evolution in pricing, hiring, and services, while increasing efficiency in data-heavy tasks like due diligence and contract review, though accuracy remains a concern due to AI-generated errors highlighted by cases such as a recent apology from Sullivan & Cromwell for an incorrect AI citation.