With the advent of advanced AI tools, there's a growing concern among legal professionals about the potential for these technologies to replace their jobs. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Like past technological advances, AI is poised to create more work for lawyers, not diminish it.

When ATMs were introduced, there was widespread fear that they would replace bank branches and the employees within them. Instead, ATMs reduced the costs of operating a bank and increased the number of overall banking jobs. Similarly, the introduction of email and the internet, rather than reducing the need for communication professionals, actually expanded their roles and the demand for their services.

Recently, I discussed how AI is driving an increase in mass tort litigation, necessitating a greater number of defense lawyers. This is because AI can quickly identify and process potential claims that might have been overlooked due to the sheer volume and complexity of information. This spring, I also explored how AI enables plaintiffs' lawyers to handle more cases efficiently, echoing the Jevons Principle where lowering the costs increases demand. This principle applies perfectly to the legal field—many potential legal issues remain unaddressed because the cost of legal help outweighs the perceived benefits. By reducing these costs, AI tools enable more claims to be pursued.

In the realm of class actions, AI is again proving to be a game-changer. Tools developed by companies like Darrow and Rain are making it easier for lawyers to identify potential class actions by analyzing vast amounts of data across different platforms and databases. This capability significantly reduces the time and effort required to build a case, which traditionally involved extensive and often prohibitive research and verification processes.

The implications are profound not only for plaintiffs' lawyers but also for in-house counsel and litigation attorneys. Being able to predict and prepare for potential class actions can help companies mitigate risks and build more robust defenses early in the process.

Looking towards the future, the challenge for litigators may no longer be about the lack of work due to AI but rather how to manage the increasing volume of work generated by these advanced tools. As AI continues to evolve, it will enable the pursuit of legal claims and defenses that were previously impractical or unnoticed, fundamentally changing the landscape of the legal profession.

As we look at these developments, it's clear that AI is not a threat to the legal profession but a transformative force that will enhance the capacity and effectiveness of lawyers everywhere. The real question now is not if AI will replace lawyers, but how lawyers will adapt to harness the full potential of AI in their practice.