80% of Law Firm Professionals Believe AI-driven eDiscovery Technology Can Help Their Firm Improve

Staff Report

Thursday, April 6th, 2023

IPRO, an industry-leading eDiscovery and data governance technology solutions company, announced today the results of a survey of law firm professionals conducted jointly with the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS).

The survey reveals that a stunning 80% of law firm professionals believe AI-driven eDiscovery technology can help their firm improve operational efficiency, lower costs and reduce the time it takes to conduct document inquiries. Notably, the survey was conducted in December – just as the implications of the breakthroughs in Open AI's ChatGPT model were becoming clear.

The survey of 182 legal professionals also examined the eDiscovery AI capabilities law firm professionals are using most often to respond to an inquiry or litigation in 2022 and found 60% of respondents regularly used Technology Assisted Review in the process.

"The results of this survey show that law firms have already been using various forms of AI to conduct eDiscovery and are comfortable embracing it more in the near future," said IPRO COO Sarai Schubert. "They are doing this because they see the advantages the technology provides. It allows the lawyers to spend more time on complex legal issues while also improving efficiency, saving money and, perhaps, even creating a competitive advantage."

More broadly, IPRO's survey of lawyers, litigation support professionals, eDiscovery professionals and others at law firms also underscores the desire across law firms to deploy new technology to improve the eDiscovery process. At the same time, 50% of law firm professionals said they are currently either neutral or unhappy with how they apply eDiscovery technology or believe there's room for improvement in relation to how law firms leverage eDiscovery technology.

The survey of legal professionals was conducted in tandem with a survey of in-house legal professionals released earlier this year. That survey revealed budget constraints are expected to be the biggest challenge for legal professionals in 2023.

"ACEDS is thrilled to once again partner with IPRO on this important survey," said Mike Quartararo, president of ACEDS. "We've been working with IPRO for many years to deliver valuable and actionable insights to our members and the legal community in general, and these survey results illuminate the trends and activities that law firm professionals are focused on that are driving process improvements and innovation throughout the industry."