The Evolution of Agentic AI: From Concept to Reality

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The legal profession is witnessing a transformative shift with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The new class of AI-powered tools, known as “Agentic AI,” are destined to shape the future as we navigate the ethical implications of their adoption in the legal industry.

These AI tools, characterized by their ability to act autonomously on behalf of users while adhering to specific constraints and objectives, are changing how legal work is conducted. So it is instructive to take a step back and trace how we got here, from concept to reality.

From Rule-Based Systems...

The journey of AI in legal practice began with simple rule-based systems designed to automate basic tasks, such as document searches and form completion. These early tools, developed in the 1980s and 1990s, operated on rigid logic structures and required extensive human oversight. The LexisNexis legal research database was a pioneer in this first wave, enabling lawyers to search through case law using Boolean operators and specific keywords.

The next generation of Legal AI emerged in the early-2000s with the introduction of machine learning algorithms. These systems could identify patterns in legal documents and begin to make predictions based on historical data. However, they required careful training on specifically structured datasets and occasionally struggled to understand context.

A significant breakthrough came with the development of natural language processing capabilities in the mid-2010s. These systems could begin to understand legal language in its natural form, moving beyond simple keyword matching to grasp the semantic meaning of legal texts, and eventually introduced the legal market to “extractive” AI models. This advancement led to the creation of more sophisticated document review tools and contract analysis systems, as well as new legal research tools such as the popular Lexis Answers.

To Autonomous Agents...

The Legal AI landscape shifted again in 2022 with the emergence of powerful “generative” AI (Gen AI) models. These systems demonstrated unprecedented capabilities in natural language understanding and content generation, introducing new possibilities for legal work. Unlike their predecessors, Gen AI could engage in sophisticated legal reasoning, draft documents from scratch, and provide detailed analytical responses to complex legal queries. LexisNexis pioneered the application of Gen AI to the legal space with the development and first-to-market product rollout of Lexis+ AI.

This Gen AI technology breakthrough marked a crucial stepping stone toward “agentic” AI systems, as it combined deep language understanding with the ability to generate novel, contextually appropriate legal content. The new generation of agentic AI tools, powered by advanced large language models and neural networks, represents a quantum leap in capability. These agentic AI systems leverage Gen AI tech to automatically perform tasks such as:

• Process and understand complex legal concepts across multiple jurisdictions;
• Recognize subtle legal distinctions and nuances in case law;
• Generate sophisticated legal analysis with proper citations;
• Adapt their approach based on new information or changing circumstances; and
• Work collaboratively with lawyers, understanding context and intent.

The evolution of agentic AI, from concept to reality, represents a fundamental shift in legal practice. These tools will never replace attorneys, but rather will become an increasingly sophisticated partner in transforming legal work. Understanding and effectively leveraging their capabilities will be crucial for legal professionals seeking to maintain competitive advantage in an evolving marketplace for legal services.

Legal tech observers are taking notice of the extraordinary possibilities being unleashed by agentic AI.

“Just as law firms were getting comfortable with generative artificial intelligence, a more advanced technology known as agentic AI is poised to become commonplace among lawyers,” reports Law360 Pulse. “Agentic AI performs tasks with limited human interaction through software programs known as agents. By taking action and making decisions, agentic AI differs from generative AI, which focuses more on creating content.”

The Law360 report noted that “law firms have been increasingly adopting generative AI to become more efficient” and now “experts say that agentic AI might be the next innovation to take hold.”

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