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Law firms still express concerns about AI’s authenticity and reputational risk, even though they are rapidly increasing its role in their communications strategies, according to a white paper released by Infinite, which handles professional services PR.
The AI in Law Communications Report assembled a closed-door roundtable (i.e., the identity of participants was not revealed) of senior communications leads from major UK and US law firms to get their takes on how they are implementing AI. The general consensus: AI is likely to become fully embedded in most of the firms’ communications workflow within the next 12 months.
At that top of the list for what the comms leads see as AI’s selling points is the increased efficiency that it brings, freeing teams up so they can focus more on strategic, high-value work.
However, most of them say that a cautious approach to AI is still called for, with a major concern focusing on the complexity of data that legal firms must handle. “The biggest barrier is around the unstructured data of the information,” one participant noted. “If we can get the interactions with our files right, that will be very powerful.”
The roundtable participants also said that, across the board, the introduction of AI needs to progress in tandem with continuing human interaction.
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In crisis communications, for example, one participant said “there will always be a role for comms people; it’s such a human issue. Being able to calm people down and help them understand the issues rationally is something only people can do.”
The report also finds that, at least for now, AI is considerably more helpful for less-complex functions, such as new-hire announcements, training or anticipating the kind of questions journalists might ask.
It also gives some pointers on how the implementation of AI could be made most effective.
Among them: audit your current uses of AI in internal and leadership comms to gauge whether they enhance clarity or dilute trust; incorporate such skills as writing, campaigning and strategic judgment into employee AI training; and encourage teams to use AI as a media rehearsal tool.
“If communications fail to reflect the firm’s standards and values, the risk to reputation can be significant,” said UK head of professional services at Infinite Ryan McSharry. “The firms that benefit most will be those that combine innovation with rigorous oversight, clear policies, and a deep understanding of their audiences.”
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