Why Legal Should Embrace AI’s Potential or Risk Falling Behind

As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in daily legal and business operations, legal teams face a choice: Embrace AI’s potential or risk falling behind. Legal and innovation experts urged companies to stop hesitating and start integrating AI strategically during a panel discussion at Womble Bond Dickinson’s recent AI summit. The firm recapped the event in an article on its website. 

The panel at the AI Intensive Playbook for Innovation and Risk Mitigation Summit was moderated by Mark Henriques and included Marina Carreker of Galleon Strategies, Bill Koch of Womble Bond Dickinson, and Jude Ogene of OpenNode. “The period of waiting on the sidelines until the dust has settled has passed,” Carreker said. “The technology changes so fast; you can’t wait until the right time.”

Panelists addressed the dangers of delaying AI adoption. Shadow IT, where employees use unsanctioned AI tools, poses significant security risks, while the lack of official platforms can hinder collaboration and prevent the sharing of best practices. Conversely, organizations that implement enterprise AI tools and governance frameworks are better positioned to scale AI responsibly and safeguard sensitive data.

In addition, younger employees, often referred to as “AI natives,” are driving expectations for how AI should be used in the workplace. Organizations must bridge the gap between tech-savvy newcomers and less experienced staff through training and inclusive collaboration strategies such as using Slack channels and establishing cross-functional teams. “It’s like when the Internet came around,” Henriques said. “You can’t just not use the Internet at work.”

The panel also emphasized the need for strong AI guardrails, including clear policies, bias mitigation, and transparency in tool selection. Grounding prompts in verifiable documents and maintaining human oversight were highlighted as best practices.

While legal teams need to embrace AI’s potential or risk falling behind, autonomous reasoning agents signal a future where AI reshapes workflows even further. Success depends not just on the tools but on a company’s willingness to experiment and evolve.