Bloomberg Law Survey Finds Attorneys Weigh AI’s Value Against Its Risks
Bloomberg Law’s 2026 AI in Practice report examines how attorneys use artificial intelligence, whether they trust it for complex tasks, and whether its benefits justify the risks. The report draws on responses from more than 1,000 attorneys.
- The report is based on responses from more than 1,000 attorneys.
- 76% of attorneys are concerned about AI going rogue.
- 25% fear their jobs will be replaced by AI.
- The report examines AI’s return on investment and use in complex tasks.
- It also addresses output checking and client expectations.
Attorneys remain concerned about AI’s risks
The report found that 76% of attorneys are concerned about AI going rogue, while 25% fear that the technology will replace their jobs. Bloomberg Law said the findings reflect the practical questions attorneys face as AI becomes more widely used in legal practice.
The report examines attorneys’ concerns about AI’s reliability and its implications for their work. It also considers how legal professionals maintain confidence in the work they deliver when AI tools are part of the process.
The report focuses on legal AI’s business case
Alongside concerns about risk, Bloomberg Law’s report explores whether AI delivers a meaningful return on investment for legal organizations. It looks at how attorneys use AI tools, where they believe those tools add value, and whether they trust them with complex tasks.
The report also addresses the importance of checking AI outputs. That focus places review and scrutiny alongside efficiency when legal employers assess how the technology fits into their work.
“As AI becomes part of everyday legal work, attorneys need to understand where it adds value and where it requires closer scrutiny,” Cesca Antonelli, editor-in-chief at Bloomberg Industry Group, said in the announcement.
Client expectations are part of adoption decisions
Bloomberg Law said the report examines client expectations about the use of AI, adding another consideration for legal employers evaluating the technology. The findings cover the practical demands of adoption, including assessing return on investment and addressing questions from attorneys and clients.
“These findings give legal employers a basis for assessing their investment in AI and the questions they need to address with their attorneys and clients,” Antonelli said.
For legal organizations, the report presents AI adoption as a matter of balancing potential business value with reliability checks, workplace concerns, and expectations about how legal work is produced. Bloomberg Law made the 2026 AI in Practice report available for download through its website.
