Eighty-six percent of legal professionals in Latin America believe that AI will have a significant or transformative impact on their profession in the next five years. But when asked what impact they expected to see in their own offices over the next twelve months, the number drops to just 35%.
This data, from Thomson Reuters’ Future of Professionals 2025 report, based on responses from executives, partners, associates and lawyers in 53 countries, reveals a clear disconnect between general expectations and imminent real changes. The gap is a warning sign for leaders, as inaction could translate into a loss of critical talent and a dangerous competitive disadvantage.
The paradox is that Latin America leads in AI expectations, but not in investments. Offices in the region feel limited in their ability to invest in the technology, even though their individual professionals are adopting it faster than in other regions. While UK and European offices lead institutional investment, in our region there is a desire for transformation without the strategic infrastructure to support it.
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If this gap between individual adoption and institutional strategy is not addressed, firms will not only lose competitiveness, but also risk losing their best talent, who will seek out environments where technology enhances their professional development, rather than limits it.
Yes, there are offices that are at the forefront in Latin America. And this shows what is to come: offices that integrate technology in a deliberate way, aligned with their business strategy.
For adoption to be effective, it needs to be strategic. The report reveals that only 22% of offices have a well-defined AI strategy. But the main finding is that 71% are already seeing a return on their investment. Additionally, offices with a clear plan are 3.5x more likely to experience revenue growth thanks to AI compared to those that are moving forward without a clear direction.
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Developing this strategy involves aligning AI adoption with business objectives, setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals, prioritizing high-impact pilot projects, and building robust governance structures. This requires investment in talent and training, because technology does not replace professional judgment; on the contrary, it enhances, empowers and accelerates it. And it requires a comprehensive data strategy that encompasses customer information, internal knowledge and accumulated legal work.
Professional-grade AI or reputational risk?
Not all AI tools are created equal. The use of generic models, not trained in the legal domain and without secure environments, represents an ethical, legal and reputational risk. Legal professionals deal with sensitive and confidential information. They need industry-trained tools, with private data that is never used to train general models, and with a high level of security.
The difference between adopting AI responsibly or haphazardly lies in having a clear strategy. The firms that understand this first, that invest in governance, talent, data and professional tools, will lead the next decade.
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Artificial intelligence will not transform the legal sector. She is already transforming. The important question is: will your office lead this change or will it try to catch up later?
