AI Insights
Promise, Peril And The Path Forward: Legal Industry AI
As an intellectual property and privacy attorney who has spent almost two decades at the intersection of law and technology, I have seen firsthand the profound impact that artificial intelligence (AI) is having on the legal industry.
From streamlining mundane tasks to enhancing decision-making processes, AI is revolutionizing the way legal professionals operate.
The Promise of AI in Law
AI offers a lot of benefits to legal practice. It streamlines routine tasks, letting legal professionals focus on work requiring human judgment. Document review, contract analysis and legal research – tasks that are critical to legal work and traditionally consume significant time – can now be completed more efficiently with AI-powered tools.
For example, these new AI platforms can quickly sift through vast amounts of data to identify and synthesize relevant information, significantly reducing the time and effort required by legal professionals. This not only increases productivity but also lets lawyers focus on more strategic and value-added activities that leverage their expertise, emotional intelligence and counsel – skills that AI cannot replace.
Layering Generative AI within the context of a traditional legal claim can provide additional insights that might otherwise be missed. Predictive analytics, powered by machine learning algorithms, can analyze historical case data to forecast the likely outcomes of legal disputes, enabling attorneys to make more informed decisions about case strategy and settlement negotiations.
I can’t think of any attorney who would choose to spend their time sifting through countless emails, contracts, or cases when, through AI tools, they could instead be strategizing and collaborating with their clients.
The Peril Behind the Promise
However, these benefits do not come without risks. There is not a single tool that I would recommend using as the basis for legal decisions without substantial human oversight. Attorneys have an ethical duty of competence, which now includes understanding AI’s capabilities and limitations. Delegation is not an option; as attorneys, we have an ethical obligation of technology competency. Our State Bar has been clear that it is our duty to keep up with all technology used in practice, including AI.
AI systems reflect the data they were trained on, which can lead to significant biases. For example, a company using an AI tool for hiring decisions found the system favored male candidates due to it being a historically male-dominated industry, creating an inadvertent gender bias with legal consequences had the AI tool been relied on without oversight.
This same risk of bias exists in legal applications, where AI might inadvertently perpetuate existing prejudices in case outcomes or legal advice. It is crucial for legal professionals to be vigilant about these biases and work toward developing more equitable AI systems.
Additionally, client confidentiality remains paramount in our profession. If we provide client information to an AI tool, there is a risk that this information could be misused or the confidentiality compromised. Legal professionals must make sure their AI tools meet strict privacy standards.
The ownership of AI-generated content creates another risk. The copyright office currently states that anything created by Generative AI does not qualify for copyright protection. There is also concern about AI tools using copyright-protected materials without permission to generate output. This raises questions about the ownership, infringement, and reuse of AI-generated content, creating potential pitfalls for law firms and clients alike. Legal professionals must navigate these uncertainties carefully.
The Path Forward
It is imperative to have human oversight and accountability for all key decisions made using AI tools. AI tools must only be used to augment our legal expertise and judgment, not replace it. The human elements of legal practice – emotional intelligence, reasoning, and empathy – cannot be replaced by these AI tools. Clients don’t want to sit in front of a computer and talk about really difficult or personal topics. They want to look us in the eyes and feel confident that we can be their trusted advisor and account for all aspects – the data-driven and emotional ones – when crafting legal strategies.
It is also important for law firms to implement training programs. We did this a few years ago, and we have attorneys who have been practicing for 50-plus years, learning alongside those right out of law school. With everyone evolving and learning at the same rate, a bonus to this approach has been the camaraderie and teamwork built across what can sometimes seem like vast generation gaps.
The AI revolution in law isn’t coming – it’s here. The question isn’t whether to embrace AI but how to do so responsibly. The greatest risk may be complacency – assuming that our profession’s traditional values will automatically transfer to an AI-augmented practice without intentional effort.
This article was first published by the Wilmington Business Journal.
—
© 2025 Ward and Smith, P.A. For further information regarding the issues described above, please contact .
This article is not intended to give, and should not be relied upon for, legal advice in any particular circumstance or fact situation. No action should be taken in reliance upon the information contained in this article without obtaining the advice of an attorney.
AI Insights
Roche’s Chugai Breaks Into Aging via Potential $1B+ Deal With AI Outfit Gero
Tokyo-based Chugai Pharmaceutical is joining with the AI-driven biotech Gero, in a research collaboration on age-related diseases potentially worth more than $1 billion.
The collaboration will see Chugai, majority owned by Roche, creating novel antibody drug candidates using its in-house engineering capabilities. The targets sought by those antibodies will be discovered using Gero’s AI target discovery platform, which serves as predictive models of human health trained on longitudinal medical records. Chugai will get exclusive worldwide rights to any drug candidates made in the collaboration.
Under terms of the deal, Chugai will make an undisclosed upfront payment and put up approximately $250 million if certain unannounced development or sales milestones are reached. If Chugai successfully launches a product, the company will pay Gero additional royalties, which could push the total value of the deal to above $1 billion, according to an email sent to BioSpace from a Chugai representative.
Though the companies did not announce any specific indications they will be targeting in the collaboration, Singapore-based Gero’s stated cause is to eliminate the “root causes of age-related diseases.”
“Our AI platform is built to identify therapeutic targets that drive multiple age-related diseases and potentially aging itself,” Gero CEO Peter Fedichev said in a statement. “In this collaboration, we aim to translate those insights into therapeutics that can help restore the lost function. This partnership with Chugai is an important step toward achieving Gero’s mission: to meaningfully target the biological processes of human aging.”
Gero previously inked a deal with Pfizer in January 2023 to apply its AI technology platform to discover targets in fibrotic diseases. Financial terms of that deal were not disclosed, only that Gero would receive an upfront payment and be eligible to receive discovery milestone payments. Gero appears to still be in its early stages, having raised a $6 million series A round in 2023. The company does not have a published drug pipeline on its website.
Chugai, for its part, has partnered with AI companies since late last decade, making it an early entrant into the biopharma-AI space. In 2018 Chugai linked up with the deep learning company Preferred Networks, paying the latter about $5 million (¥700 million) for access to its platform. More recently, Chugai partnered with SoftBank in January to use generative AI to accelerate drug development, with the aim of streamlining personnel and costs associated with clinical trials.
AI Insights
Ascendion Wins Gold as the Artificial Intelligence Service Provider of the Year in 2025 Globee® Awards
- Awarded Gold for excellence in real-world AI implementation and measurable enterprise outcomes
- Recognized for agentic AI innovation through ASCENDION AAVA platform, accelerating software delivery and unlocking business value at scale
- Validated as a category leader in operationalizing AI across enterprise ecosystems—from generative and ethical AI to machine learning and NLP—delivering productivity, transparency, and transformation
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ascendion, a leader in AI-powered software engineering, has been awarded Gold as the Artificial Intelligence Service Provider of the Year in the 2025 Globee® Awards for Artificial Intelligence. This prestigious honor recognizes Ascendion’s bold leadership in delivering practical, enterprise-grade AI solutions that drive measurable business outcomes across industries.
The Globee® Awards for Artificial Intelligence celebrate breakthrough achievements across the full spectrum of AI technologies including machine learning, natural language processing, generative AI, and ethical AI. Winners are recognized for setting new standards in transforming industries, enhancing user experiences, and solving real-world problems with artificial intelligence (AI).
“This recognition validates more than our AI capabilities. It confirms the bold vision that drives Ascendion,” said Karthik Krishnamurthy, Chief Executive Officer, Ascendion. “We’ve been engineering the future with AI long before it became a buzzword. Today, our clients aren’t chasing trends; they’re building what’s next with us. This award proves that when you combine powerful AI platforms, cutting-edge technology, and the relentless pursuit of meaningful outcomes, transformation moves from promise to fact. That’s Engineering to the Power of AI in action.”
Ascendion earned this recognition by driving real-world impact with its ASCENDION AAVA platform and agentic AI capabilities, transforming enterprise software development and delivery. This strategic approach enables clients to modernize engineering workflows, reduce technical debt, increase transparency, and rapidly turn AI innovation into scalable, market-ready solutions. Across industries like banking and financial services, healthcare and life sciences, retail and consumer goods, high-tech, and more, Ascendion is committed to helping clients move beyond experimentation to build AI-first systems that deliver real results.
“The 2025 winners reflect the innovation and forward-thinking mindset needed to lead in AI today,” said San Madan, President of the Globee® Awards. “With organizations across the globe engaging in data-driven evaluations, this recognition truly reflects broad industry endorsement and validation.”
About Ascendion
Ascendion is a leading provider of AI-powered software engineering solutions that help businesses innovate faster, smarter, and with greater impact. We partner with over 400 Global 2000 clients across North America, APAC, and Europe to tackle complex challenges in applied AI, cloud, data, experience design, and workforce transformation. Powered by +11,000 experts, a bold culture, and our proprietary Engineering to the Power of AI (EngineeringAI) approach, we deliver outcomes that build trust, unlock value, and accelerate growth. Headquartered in New Jersey, with 40+ global offices, Ascendion combines scale, agility, and ingenuity to engineer what’s next. Learn more at https://ascendion.com.
Engineering to the Power of AI™, AAVA™, EngineeringAI, Engineering to Elevate Life™, DataAI, ExperienceAI, Platform EngineeringAI, Product EngineeringAI, and Quality EngineeringAI are trademarks or service marks of Ascendion®. AAVA™ is pending registration. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
About the Globee® Awards
The Globee® Awards present recognition in ten programs and competitions, including the Globee® Awards for Achievement, Globee® Awards for Artificial Intelligence, Globee® Awards for Business, Globee® Awards for Excellence, Globee® Awards for Cybersecurity, Globee® Awards for Disruptors, Globee® Awards for Impact. Globee® Awards for Innovation (also known as Golden Bridge Awards®), Globee® Awards for Leadership, and the Globee® Awards for Technology. To learn more about the Globee Awards, please visit the website: https://globeeawards.com.
SOURCE Ascendion
AI Insights
Overcoming the Traps that Prevent Growth in Uncertain Times
July 7, 2025
Today, with uncertainty a seemingly permanent condition, executives need to weave adaptability, resilience, and clarity into their operating plans. The best executives will implement strategies that don’t just sustain their businesses; they enable growth.
-
Funding & Business7 days ago
Kayak and Expedia race to build AI travel agents that turn social posts into itineraries
-
Jobs & Careers6 days ago
Mumbai-based Perplexity Alternative Has 60k+ Users Without Funding
-
Mergers & Acquisitions6 days ago
Donald Trump suggests US government review subsidies to Elon Musk’s companies
-
Funding & Business6 days ago
Rethinking Venture Capital’s Talent Pipeline
-
Jobs & Careers6 days ago
Why Agentic AI Isn’t Pure Hype (And What Skeptics Aren’t Seeing Yet)
-
Funding & Business4 days ago
Sakana AI’s TreeQuest: Deploy multi-model teams that outperform individual LLMs by 30%
-
Funding & Business7 days ago
From chatbots to collaborators: How AI agents are reshaping enterprise work
-
Jobs & Careers6 days ago
Astrophel Aerospace Raises ₹6.84 Crore to Build Reusable Launch Vehicle
-
Jobs & Careers6 days ago
Telangana Launches TGDeX—India’s First State‑Led AI Public Infrastructure
-
Jobs & Careers4 days ago
Ilya Sutskever Takes Over as CEO of Safe Superintelligence After Daniel Gross’s Exit