Majority of General Counsel Indicate Openness to Using AI in Nearly Every Major Legal Use Case, According to The General Counsel Report

Rhea-AI Summary

According to The General Counsel Report 2025 by FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN) and Relativity, over two-thirds of general counsel are interested in implementing generative AI in legal departments. The report reveals that 65% of legal departments plan to invest in new technology, with 30% specifically targeting generative AI implementations.

The study, based on interviews with chief legal officers and a survey of over 200 general counsel across 12 countries, shows that 44% of legal teams are now using generative AI, up from 28% in 2024 and 20% in 2023. Key findings include:

• 75% report increased workloads in evaluating new technologies
• 75% lack a technology roadmap
• 79% increasingly rely on outside counsel
• 85% feel minimally prepared for generative AI risks

Regional variations show Latin American general counsel are most comfortable with AI in e-discovery (86%), while Asia Pacific shows the lowest comfort level (55%). Legal departments express openness to AI use in legal research, document review, and contract analysis, though concerns persist about technology viability, reliability, and cost.

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than two-thirds of general counsel have expressed interest in using generative artificial intelligence within the legal department, according to part two of The General Counsel Report 2025 from FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) and global legal technology company Relativity. Alongside growing interest in AI within legal, approximately 65% of legal departments plan to invest in new technology in the year ahead, and 30% of that group have generative AI on their list for upcoming implementations.

This sixth annual edition of the report is based on findings from one-on-one interviews between Ari Kaplan Advisors and chief legal officers at large corporations around the world, as well as a quantitative survey of more than 200 general counsel in a dozen countries. Together, the two data pools examined the rate of generative AI adoption, technology road mapping within the legal department and the broad use of technology as a strategy for responding to rising pressures.

In addition to plans to purchase or improve the use of tools spanning contract lifecycle management, enterprise legal management, matter management and automation, legal department leaders expressed high comfort levels using generative AI for legal use cases including legal research, e-discovery, document review, contract analysis and more. Generative AI use has also increased over the past year, with 44% of general counsel saying their legal teams are now using generative AI, compared to 28% in 2024 and 20% in 2023.

“A growing number of general counsel are exploring how AI can make their teams more efficient and effective,” said Sophie Ross, Global Chief Executive Officer of FTI Technology. “However, this increasing comfort level must be balanced against an assortment of persistent concerns, including the technology’s viability, availability, reliability and cost. What we continue to see among our teams and clients is that traditional AI still has strong value in legal use cases, and at the same time, generative AI has tremendous potential to improve outcomes when applied with expert human oversight. The findings in The General Counsel Report confirm that the legal field is feeling the effects of active technological disruption, and legal departments must continue to pursue expert-led testing and experimentation to understand the applications that will make the most impact for their needs.”

Key findings covered in part two of The General Counsel Report 2025 include:

• Most respondents (75%) have experienced an increase in workloads related to evaluating new technologies for their organization.
• Even with widespread recognition of the value of technology, 75% of legal departments lack a technology roadmap, making it more difficult to plan and effectively allocate budget.
• Increased reliance on law firms was the most popular strategy general counsel cited for addressing increasing risk and escalating demand, with 79% confirming they turn to outside counsel more frequently.
• General counsel in Latin America were the most likely to be comfortable with the use of AI in e-discovery, with 86% open to it, compared to only 55% in Asia Pacific, which was the least comfortable with it.
• General counsel are least comfortable with the use of generative AI in investigations, with 47% rating their openness at a one or two on a scale of one (not at all comfortable) to five (extremely comfortable).
• The report revealed a slight improvement in technology readiness — 85% of general counsel said they felt minimally or not at all prepared to face the risks of generative AI, down from 93% in 2024.

“The latest data from the 2025 edition of The General Counsel Report confirm what our research had previously indicated, namely that generative AI is not a flash-in-the-pan fad, but rather a fundamentally transformative technology that is reshaping the practice of law,” said David Horrigan, Discovery Counsel and Legal Education Director at Relativity. “Last year, less than a third of general counsel said their teams were using generative AI, but that figure jumped to 44% in the 2025 report, underscoring that generative AI is an important technology for the legal profession and its chief legal officers.”

The General Counsel Report 2025 is available for download here.

Demographics and Methodology
In July and August 2024, Ari Kaplan personally interviewed 34 leaders serving as the general counsel or chief legal officer of their organizations. Sixty-five percent have a role with global responsibilities, and 63% work in organizations with more than $500 million in annual revenue. Separately, in September 2024, Censuswide conducted a quantitative survey of 207 general counsel and chief legal officers at organizations with more than $100 million in annual revenue and more than 1,000 employees in South America, North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. is a leading global expert firm for organizations facing crisis and transformation, with more than 8,300 employees in 34 countries and territories as of December 31, 2024. The Company generated $3.69 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2024. In certain jurisdictions, FTI Consulting’s services are provided through distinct legal entities that are separately capitalized and independently managed. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.

About Relativity
Relativity makes software to help users organize data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS product, RelativityOne, manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. Relativity has more than 300,000 users in approximately 40 countries serving thousands of organizations globally primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors, including the U.S. Department of Justice and 198 of the Am Law 200. Please contact Relativity at sales@relativity.com or visit www.relativity.com for more information.

FTI Consulting, Inc.
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Investor Contact:
Mollie Hawkes
+1.617.747.1791
mollie.hawkes@fticonsulting.com

Media Contact:
Ashley Allman
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ashley.allman@fticonsulting.com

FAQ

What percentage of legal departments are currently using generative AI according to FCN's 2025 report?

44% of legal teams are using generative AI in 2025, showing significant growth from 28% in 2024 and 20% in 2023.

How many legal departments plan to invest in new technology according to FCN's latest study?

65% of legal departments plan to invest in new technology, with 30% specifically planning to implement generative AI.

What are the main challenges legal departments face in AI adoption according to the FCN report?

Key challenges include technology viability, availability, reliability, cost, and 85% feeling minimally prepared to face generative AI risks.

Which region shows the highest comfort level with AI in e-discovery according to FCN's research?

Latin American general counsel show the highest comfort level with AI in e-discovery at 86%, while Asia Pacific shows the lowest at 55%.

What percentage of legal departments lack a technology roadmap according to FCN's 2025 report?

75% of legal departments lack a technology roadmap, making it difficult to plan and effectively allocate budget.