Legal AI Visionaries Are Leading the Charge Toward Innovation

Celia O’Brien interviewed three of Relativity’s 2025 Legal AI Visionaries on the growing interest in how AI is reshaping legal work in legal departments. As legal professionals look to pioneers who are already navigating this new terrain, Relativity’s annual Legal AI Visionaries List honors 24 such leaders who are actively shaping the role of AI in the legal field. 

Innovators like Sean Liddle of EY Switzerland, Martha Louks of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, and Armando Nardo of Teneo are implementing AI to improve everything from investigations to data management and internal client services. Their insights reveal how generative AI is streamlining processes and empowering professionals to focus on high-value strategic tasks.

According to Liddle, “Generative AI represents a groundbreaking shift in technology, fundamentally transforming the way we interact with information. In a remarkably short time, it has redefined modern workflows, making it as integral to our daily operations as a search engine.” 

Trust, however, remains a significant barrier to the adoption of AI. Legal professionals are inherently cautious, and concerns about ethical obligations and accuracy still loom large. Louks suggests, “For organizations hesitant to adopt AI, my advice is to start small and focus on targeted, high-impact use cases. AI doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing shift — it can be integrated gradually into workflows to enhance efficiency without disrupting core operations.”

Looking ahead, AI is poised to be transformed from a reactive tool to a proactive strategic asset. AI promises innovations in fraud detection, litigation risk assessment, and information governance. 

While some fear AI could displace human roles, the three Legal AI Visionaries interviewed see a different future, one where AI complements human expertise rather than replacing it. They see AI reducing time-intensive tasks, unlocking access to insights, and enabling broader legal access for underserved communities. 

Embracing AI is no longer optional. By engaging thoughtfully and collaboratively with AI, legal departments have the opportunity to drive meaningful, positive transformation.