From AI Experimentation to Implementing with Purpose in 2025
As 2025 winds down, the legal industry finds itself at a familiar holiday crossroads: reflecting on the year behind us and setting goals for the one ahead. If 2024 was the year the profession dabbled in AI like a child peeking at presents, 2025 is the year we actually ripped open the wrapping paper. Let’s get down to business, shall we?
The Season of Experimentation is Over
For the past few years, firms and legal departments have been like excited kids on Christmas morning, unboxing every shiny GenAI feature they could find. They piloted multiple tools and experimented without fully integrating solutions into workflows. That experimentation was important. It helped organizations understand risks and really figure out what AI could (and couldn’t) do.
But now the industry is entering a different phase. The focus is shifting from experimentation to choosing with purpose, implementing with structure, and measuring with intention.
Evaluating AI at TCDI
At TCDI, we’ve experienced that shift up close. One of our most popular phrases is “trust but verify.” Starting in 2023, we created the TCDI Tech Lab so that we could do exactly that. This experimentation allows us to learn about new tools and explore where they can help us and our clients become more efficient. To date, over 70 tools have been tested, and we’ve created some wonderful partnerships along the way.
Fortunately, and unfortunately, there is no end to this process. New technology appears and existing tools evolve. It’s almost like shoveling the driveway during a snowfall that refuses to quit. But that continuous effort is the only way to stay ahead and make informed decisions about what tools have a real impact on legal workflows.
Here's to 2026!
This is no longer about experiments. It’s about transformation. As we head into the new year, the wish is simple: let’s continue turning curiosity into capability. Because with intentional innovation, AI stops being another shiny new toy and becomes the engine that powers a stronger, smarter, more strategic legal profession.
Here’s to a purposeful and innovative 2026. Ain’t life grand?
Ned Adams
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Ned has been fostering partnerships and helping clients tackle complex legal matters with TCDI for over two decades. He is passionate about building personal connections with clients to better understand their challenges and develop innovative eDiscovery solutions.
Regardless of the size, complexity, or duration of a matter, Ned leverages his project management experience to help clients navigate a successful solution. He guides organizations and law firms through every step of the EDRM, ensuring their matters are handled as smoothly as possible. As a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, he thrives on developing workflows and processes that maximize efficiency, reducing time and cost for our clients. Learn more about Ned.
