The Legal AI Hype Cycle

Introducing the Gartner Hype Cycle

The Gartner Hype Cycle outlines the lifecycle of a new technology and the phases it moves through before it eventually becomes normalised and widely adopted.

It introduces 5 stages of maturity that a technology evolves through over time:

1. Innovation Trigger

2. Peak of Inflated Expectations

3. Trough of Disillusionment

4. Slope of Enlightenment

5. Plateau of Productivity

Legal AI Hype - Where are we?

Considering AI in Legal or Legal AI to be a new technology, where are we currently on the hype cycle curve?

We've definitely seen lots of hype when it comes to AI in the legal space which has unfortunately led to disappointments and disillusionment. The narrative is slowly moving away from 'AI will replace lawyers' to one of 'AI will help lawyers'; from competition to collaboration.

Our estimation is that we are on the way coming down the Peak of Inflated Expectations as folks realise lawyers are here to stay and can't be so easily replaced with technology.

As we come down the peak, is there a way we can step over the Trough of Disillusionment and hurry on up the Slope of Enlightenment and march forth into the promised lands of the Plateau of Productivity?

At simplexico, we think one way we can make that leap is through demystifying Legal AI and making it more accessible and simple to understand what this technology is, what it can and can't do, and how it can be applied in different use cases.

The more we understand this new technology, the better we are able to cut through the hype and use it in the most effective and meaningful way possible.