Legal Teams Drive 19.5% of Enterprise AI Use, Heightening GC Governance Role
Legal and governance teams account for 19.5% of enterprise AI usage, the highest among departments.
Why it matters: Legal teams’ significant AI adoption means GCs must update governance frameworks to manage risks and compliance effectively.
- Legal and governance departments make up 19.5% of all enterprise AI sessions, the highest proportion among business units.
- 67% of AI activity in legal teams involves ChatGPT, their primary generative AI tool.
- Legal teams account for 32.3% of enterprise plan AI activity, indicating strong use of managed accounts monitored by IT.
- 87% of general counsel report generative AI use in their teams, up from 44% in 2023, per FTI Consulting.
Recent data from Harmonic Security shows legal and governance teams lead enterprise AI engagement, representing 19.5% of all enterprise AI sessions. This outpaces units like sales, marketing, and design, reflecting high AI activity in legal functions.
In practical terms, "enterprise AI sessions" refer to individual interactions with AI tools logged through company-managed accounts. Legal departments primarily use ChatGPT, which accounts for 67% of their AI interactions. Additionally, 32.3% of their AI activity originates from enterprise plan accounts—corporate-managed licenses that provide IT oversight and data security—contrasting with other departments relying more on personal AI accounts.
Supporting this, an FTI Consulting report found that as of 2023, 87% of general counsel confirm their teams use generative AI, nearly doubling from 44% recorded in 2021. FTI defines "use" broadly, spanning various legal tasks.
Further, a Progress Software survey shows 85% of lawyers employ AI tools for legal research, document summarization, and intake assistance, indicating practical applications in daily tasks.
Harmonic Security reports that legal teams’ AI sessions average 6.4 minutes, shorter than some units but occur at a very high volume, increasing the volume of data processed. Because enterprise plan accounts are subject to IT monitoring, this offers better visibility but also requires clear governance to prevent data leaks or misuse.
As legal departments increase AI use in confidential workflows, general counsel and legal operations must establish and enforce policies ensuring responsible AI adoption, data protection, and regulatory compliance.
By the numbers:
- 19.5% — proportion of enterprise AI sessions from legal and governance teams
- 67% — of legal AI activity involves ChatGPT as primary AI tool
- 32.3% — of legal AI activity uses enterprise plan accounts subject to governance
- 87% — general counsel reporting generative AI use in legal teams as of 2023
Yes, but: While enterprise AI adoption in legal is significant, most firms still balance AI use with manual workflows, indicating cautious integration rather than full automation.
What's next: Expect ongoing updates to AI governance frameworks in legal departments as enterprise AI tools evolve and regulatory scrutiny increases.