The Strategic Phase Is Here: AI Adoption Doubles in One Year
Thomson Reuters' 2026 AI in Professional Services Report — drawn from 1,500+ professionals and now in its fourth year — documents a doubling of GenAI adoption among law firms and in-house teams, from 14% to 26% in a single year. Use cases have matured from exploratory to core: 74% of adopters use AI for legal research, 59% for briefs and memos, 58% for contract drafting. The report formally declar
BY FRONTIER DESK · JUNE 30, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
Thomson Reuters' 2026 AI in Professional Services Report — drawn from 1,500+ professionals and now in its fourth year — documents a doubling of GenAI adoption among law firms and in-house teams, from 14% to 26% in a single year. Use cases have matured from exploratory to core: 74% of adopters use AI for legal research, 59% for briefs and memos, 58% for contract drafting. The report formally declares the end of the "early adoption era" and the beginning of a "strategic phase" in which organisations are expected to redefine workflows, reshape value propositions, and embed AI into business strategy. Of firms already measuring ROI, 79% are tracking cost savings — a metric that will intensify CFO and managing partner scrutiny of KM's contribution to AI performance. For KM leaders, the strategic phase means internal knowledge infrastructure is no longer a support function but a precondition for competitive differentiation.