🎙️ 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝘁-𝗼𝗻.At LegalTechTalk 2026, David sat down with Ben Wightwick, CCO from Autologyx to discuss why successful AI isn't just about the model.It's about the process behind it.💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:↳ AI and deterministic workflows work best together↳ Governance is essential for trusted AI adoption↳ Knowing who did what, which model was used, and how AI was applied matters↳ AI should improve how the business operates, not just make individual lawyers more productiveAs AI becomes embedded across law firms, governance is shifting from a nice-to-have to a business essential.The next wave of legal AI isn't just about adoption.It's about governance.#PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #LegalAI #AIGovernance #LegalInnovation #FutureOfLaw #LegalOperations #LegalTechTalk

🎙️ 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻. 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

At LEGAL INNOVATION & TECH FEST, Roni Millard, Founder and Health & Wellness Consultant at The Wellbeing Edge, sat down with Peter Baumann, CEO and Founder at ActiveNav to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing law firms in the age of AI.

And it isn't AI.

It's data.

As Peter explained, law firms are sitting on enormous volumes of unstructured data across document management systems, cloud platforms, file shares, and countless repositories.

The challenge isn't finding new AI tools.

It's making sure the data behind them is fit for purpose.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘀:

↳ AI adoption is accelerating faster than any previous technology cycle

↳ Law firms are increasingly focused on preparing and curating data for AI

↳ Unstructured data represents both enormous value and significant risk

↳ Good governance remains the foundation of successful AI initiatives

↳ There are no shortcuts when it comes to data quality

One statement that stood out:

"AI is effectively only as good as the data you put in."

Before firms can unlock the full potential of AI, they need to get their data house in order.

Garbage in. Garbage out.

#PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #AIinLaw #DataGovernance #LegalInnovation #FutureOfLaw #InformationGovernance #LegalAI #DataManagement

In this special People in Legal roundup from the Lexnova Guild's Communitas conference, Dr Jason Fox joined Chantal McNaught for a thought-provoking conversation about the "provocation and curse of efficiency".

Jason, a complexity practitioner and self-described wizard, challenged one of the biggest assumptions shaping modern professional life. That faster, more optimised, more automated always means better.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:
↳ Efficiency can create the illusion of progress, while distancing us from what really matters
↳ Default thinking may help us move faster, but it can also narrow how we see the future
↳ In law, future relevance may depend less on hyper-rationalisation and more on human judgement
↳ Burnout, legacy systems, and machine-like ways of working are signs that something needs to change
↳ The real opportunity is not to outcompete the machines, but to become more deeply human in how we work

One idea that really stood out:

"Is this meaningful progress, or are we potentially perpetuating a rich delusion of progress?"

It is a sharp question. Especially for legal professionals navigating AI, change, and increasing pressure to do more with less.

This is a short promotional special, but the ideas inside it are anything but small.

This People in Legal episode is proudly sponsored by Smarter Drafter by Tensis.

David sat down with Steve Hantos, CEO of Tensis, to discuss entrepreneurship, legal innovation, and why automation remains critical in the age of AI.

Steve's journey started early, from running a lawn mowing business as a child to investing in technology companies and eventually leading one of legal tech's most exciting automation platforms.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘀:

↳ AI is powerful, but legal work still requires governance and control

↳ Automation delivers consistency, trust, and repeatability

↳ The future isn't AI or automation. It's AI and automation working together

↳ Law firms are moving from drafting documents to engineering knowledge

↳ Better technology improves both productivity and quality

One statement that stood out:

"Probably right isn't good enough."

As Steve explained, AI is probabilistic.

Automation is deterministic.

And in law, where trust, compliance, and risk matter, that distinction becomes incredibly important.

The future isn't choosing between AI and automation.

It's knowing how to use both together.

#PeopleInLegal #SmarterDrafter #Tensis #LegalTech #AIinLaw #DocumentAutomation #LegalInnovation #FutureOfLaw #KnowledgeEngineering

In this episode of Law and Beyond, Chantal McNaught is joined by Jenn Little, Founder and Managing Director of Insource, to discuss how AI and talent intelligence are reshaping legal recruitment.

Jenn explains why many firms are still relying on traditional hiring processes, the costs of traditional methods, and how a more proactive approach can reveal stronger talent pipelines, improve firm retention, and support growth.

A practical and timely conversation for anyone thinking about the future of legal talent, leadership and growth.

Connect with Jenn on LinkedIn to find out more.

This episode was kindly brought to you by Insource Recruitment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share with a colleague and follow us to get new episodes.

🎙️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

At LEGAL INNOVATION & TECH FEST, Roni Millard, Founder and Health & Wellness Consultant at The Wellbeing Edge, sat down with Matt from Yao to discuss what happens when lawyers build technology for lawyers.

Yao isn't just another legal practice management system.

Its founder built it after struggling to find a platform he wanted to run his own law firm on.

That perspective has shaped everything from product design and pricing to implementation and client relationships.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

↳ The mid-market law firm sector remains underserved when it comes to practice management technology

↳ Native cloud platforms are becoming the foundation for future legal operations

↳ Client feedback plays a major role in shaping product development

↳ Legal technology works best when built alongside practitioners, not just for them

↳ Long-term partnerships matter more than short-term sales

One statement that stood out:

"What would I like if I were the client?"

It's a simple question.

But when the people building the technology have actually sat in the client's seat, the answers tend to look very different.

You can't manufacture lived experience.

#PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #PracticeManagement #LawFirms #LegalInnovation #CloudTechnology #FutureOfLaw #LegalOperations #Yao

🎙️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸.

At LEGAL INNOVATION & TECH FEST, David sat down with Demi to discuss one of the biggest questions facing the legal profession:

👉 Is AI making lawyers more effective, or more dependent?

With more than 16 years in legal technology, Demi has seen the industry evolve from practice management systems to generative AI and now agentic AI.

But one thing hasn't changed:

AI should assist lawyers, not replace their judgment.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘀:

↳ AI is an assistive technology, not a decision-maker

↳ The legal profession still depends on human reasoning and accountability

↳ Schools, universities, and workplaces are still catching up on AI governance and guardrails

↳ The conversation is shifting from what AI can do to what AI is doing to us

One statement that stood out:

"You can't take the human element out of a practice like law. You're getting paid to think."

You're paid to think.

#PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #AIinLaw #LegalInnovation #FutureOfLaw #LegalOperations #ResponsibleAI #LawFirms #LegalTransformation

At LEGAL INNOVATION & TECH FEST, Mona sat down with Roni Millard, Founder and Health & Wellness Consultant at The Wellbeing Edge, to discuss a topic generating plenty of debate in legal AI:

👉 Is generative AI enough for legal research?

As Founder of JurisTechne and a PhD researcher in algorithmic law, Mona explained why she took a different path.

Instead of relying on probabilistic AI models designed to predict the next likely word, JurisTechne has built a deterministic foundation focused on retrieving information rather than generating it.

The goal?

𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:

↳ Legal AI requires a different standard of accuracy than most industries

↳ Generative AI predicts probabilities, while deterministic systems focus on retrieving verified information

↳ Data quality is critical. AI is only as reliable as the information it is built upon

↳ JurisTechne has identified and corrected thousands of errors within Australian legal data sets

↳ Every legal decision has real-world consequences, making precision essential

One statement that stood out:

"If you get one thing wrong, that's risking someone's ability to access their children, access their freedoms, or help them in business."

Every data point matters.

#PeopleInLegal #LegalTech #AIinLaw #LegalResearch #LegalInnovation #FutureOfLaw #ResponsibleAI #LegalAI #JurisTechne