Microsoft is making legal departments measurably more efficient with AI
AI Efficiency
Legal professionals are faced with increasing challenges: more work, faster changes and more complex regulations. To keep up with this, more and more companies are turning to technology. Microsoft is leading the way in this by giving its legal department a major boost with AI and Microsoft Copilot. The outcome? “All in for AI.”
Thanks to AI, Microsoft has made major strides in efficiency, quality and impact within its Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) organization. This experience offers valuable lessons for other companies looking to accelerate their own transformation. You can read what these are below.
“Legal professionals with Copilot worked 32% faster and made 20% fewer errors than their colleagues without AI.”
What are the lessons learned?
The lessons from Microsoft's AI journey are clear:
- Manage data and expectations: AI implementation is an ongoing process, not a final destination.
- Deploy Champions: Enthusiastic users inspire their peers and drive broader adoption.
- Show leadership: Strong leadership is essential to successfully integrating AI.
Microsoft’s experience with AI shows how important it is to properly manage data and expectations. Although merging data from different sources takes time, the benefits are enormous. AI is seen as an ongoing process, where continuous improvement is central.
Work faster, with fewer errors
With AI, employees automate routine tasks and focus on the really complex issues. This was also evident from a recent experiment by Microsoft's Office of the Chief Economist: legal professionals with Copilot worked 32% faster and made 20% fewer errors than their colleagues without AI.
AI not only makes it possible to run legal processes better, but also helps with compliance with laws and regulations. Complex tasks such as summarizing regulations and tracking industry developments are accomplished in an instant, allowing legal teams to respond more quickly to changes.
“AI is no longer a luxury for legal departments; it is a necessity,” said Hossein Nowbar, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft. “AI does not replace our judgment, but helps us work better and faster.”
Work more efficiently through AI, thanks to collaboration with Epona
Microsoft’s collaboration with Epona ensures that the benefits of AI for legal professionals are even better utilized. By integrating their technologies, Epona makes it possible to implement the power of Microsoft’s AI and Copilot directly into its software solutions. This makes legal processes even smarter and more accurately tailored to the specific needs of legal departments.
Epona’s expertise in document and email management, combined with Microsoft’s advanced AI tools, offers legal teams the opportunity to further optimize work processes and better serve clients. And all of that measurable.
Looking ahead
With the use of Copilot and AI, supported by Epona, Microsoft shows that technology is an indispensable ally in the future of legal departments. Offices that embrace these tools are ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
Want to learn more?
Leaflet Microsoft: Retooling legal operations with AI: Learn from Microsoft’s journey
Video: Microsoft’s AI Journey in Legal Operations | All in on AI
Whitepaper “Artificial Intelligence & Document Management Systems”