2. KPMG Global GC Outlook: AI Now the Top Operational Priority for General Counsel

KPMG's 2026 Global General Counsel Outlook, based on 468 senior legal leaders across 28 jurisdictions, finds the GC role shifting from gatekeeper to strategic leader. AI is now the top operational priority: 70% of GCs have implemented AI in legal research and analysis, 66% in privacy and data protection, and 65% in compliance monitoring. Regulatory volume and complexity remains the biggest pressure driver (39%), but value-based pricing models are gaining support over traditional hourly billing as AI improves departmental efficiency. The report signals GCs are rethinking operating models, talent structures, and outside-counsel partnerships simultaneously.

---