Understanding the legal sector’s approach to AI using insights from TechTorget 2025

At TechTorget 2025, Saga conducted a survey to explore the legal sector’s perception of AI, its adoption challenges, and the tools required for successful implementation. The results shed light on the legal community's views on AI and the steps needed to foster adoption.

Is AI in legal an opportunity or a threat?

The majority of respondents, 65%, view AI as an opportunity, while 35% see it as both an opportunity and a threat. Notably, no one considered AI as purely a threat. These numbers reflect optimism about AI's potential, tempered by some concerns about its implications.

We can also assume that at TechTorget there is a higher representation of people who perceive AI as an opportunity rather than a threat, as they have a ‘natural interest’ in the field compared to many other lawyers out there. In our view, it is therefore essential to remain aware of those lawyers who may still feel it as a threat and meet them with understanding to optimize the adoption process and support safety and comfort.

What are the challenges in implementing AI?

Participants identified several barriers to AI adoption, with responses distributed as follows:

• Lawyers are busy people: 50% of respondents indicated that time constraints in their workday make it difficult to acquire AI skills.
• Traditional habits: 62% emphasized the challenge of transitioning from established workflows.
• Complexity of AI: 35% pointed to the difficulty of understanding how and when to use AI tools.
• Fear of replacement: Only 8% expressed concerns about AI replacing lawyers in the future.

These findings highlight that while fear of job loss is minimal, practical barriers—like workload and habits—are significant. But what is a habit? How do we change a habit?

A habit is an automatic response to a given situation. It is rarely changed by pure motivation, even though we often think it is. ‘You just have to be motivated to do it’. Even if you are motivated to try using AI for a task, you've probably often forgotten about it or couldn't manage it at the time and therefore solved your task as usual. That's how humans are. The brain saves energy where it can - and it does so in our habits. We can change our behavior for the first two weeks on pure motivation, but when other pressures arise (e.g. a high workload) we fall back into our habits.

Motivation is overrated. What works in practice, however, is having a concrete action plan for what you want to do. ‘I'm going to use AI to compare two contracts for clients A and B on Thursday at 15.00. I'll put it in my calendar right away so I remember it. I will spend 15 min. on it’.

Of course, changing habits isn't as simple as that. But a plan almost always outweighs motivation - which is why having a concrete plan is a good place to start.

Priorities for Legal AI Tools

When asked about the most critical aspect of a legal AI tool, participants split their preferences between technical functionality and user training:

• Technical capabilities: 62% emphasized the importance of robust functionalities to address various use cases.
• User training: 38% stressed the need for clear instructions and training to maximize tool usage.

This duality underscores the importance of balancing innovation with ease of use and support.

Perceived IT maturity of law firms

The survey revealed that none of the respondents rated their firms as “very IT mature,” with 54% describing their firms as “medium IT mature” and 46% as “little IT mature.” These findings suggest that while some progress has been made in digital transformation, a significant gap in IT infrastructure and readiness persists across many law firms.

This lack of maturity could be attributed to the challenges associated with implementing advanced technologies like AI, including time constraints, entrenched habits, and the complexity of new tools. This is where Saga steps in—offering solutions that simplify AI adoption and bridge the gap between technology and user needs, enabling law firms to embrace innovation more effectively.

Key takeaways

The survey reveals that the legal sector views AI as a largely positive development, but practical challenges hinder its adoption. Lawyers' workloads, entrenched habits, and the complexity of tools remain significant barriers. For AI to gain wider acceptance, developers must focus on simplifying tools and providing robust training. At the same time, law firms must continue investing in IT capabilities to support these changes.

Perhaps it's time to turn the tables when it comes to which areas of the AI solution receive the most attention when it comes to investment? It's interesting that the respondents prioritize technical functionality over the need for user training when they also believe that the biggest barrier to implementing AI is having to change habits and a high workload in the industry. This may indicate an increased focus on technological functionality rather than a focus on solving the implementation challenges that are crucial for the technology to contribute with the value it has the potential to. If we are to extract value from AI, we need to use it!

Saga remains committed to supporting the legal community by addressing these challenges and ensuring AI tools are accessible and effective. With thoughtful implementation and focus on adopting AI into daily workflows driving learning, creativity and new habits, AI can drive meaningful innovation and efficiency in the legal sector.