A recent commentary in Above the Law pushes back against the assumption that AI’s main benefit for legal work is speed. The author contends that treating AI as a tool for faster output is dangerous, because legal tasks often require careful judgment and a deep understanding of context that cannot be rushed.
Instead, the piece suggests that AI’s real effect will be to make lawyering different. That could mean changing how lawyers approach problems, structure their work, or interact with clients. The emphasis should be on how the role of the lawyer evolves, not on compressing the time spent on individual tasks.
Because there is only one source, this represents a single viewpoint in an ongoing debate. But it highlights a caution worth noting: as law firms adopt AI, they should consider more than just efficiency. The claim is that the profession’s future depends on understanding how AI reshapes legal work itself, rather than treating it as a shortcut.