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Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the legal profession at an unprecedented pace. Over the past two years, lawyers have witnessed how generative legal AI tools help them draft contract templates, summarize case law, or automate document reviews. However, the next great revolution goes a step further. In this article, we explore Agentic AI.
While traditional generative AI is limited to responding to instructions, Agentic AI has the ability to make autonomous decisions, execute multiple interconnected tasks, and act as a strategic agent, not merely as an assistant. For legal teams, this represents a unique opportunity to optimize complex processes but also introduces new challenges related to management, ethics, and compliance.
In this article, we’ll explore five key insights every lawyer should know to understand what Agentic AI is, how to apply it safely, and how to prepare for its integration into legal practice.
This article is also available in Spanish.
En este artículo encontrarás:
- What Agentic AI really is and how it differs from generative AI
- The opportunities it brings to legal work
- The risks and ethical considerations you can’t ignore
- Practical steps to start working with Agentic AI
- The future of the legal profession with Agentic AI
1. What Agentic AI Really Is and How It Differs from Generative AI
Generative AI responds to specific instructions and produces an immediate result — for example, drafting a clause or summarizing a document. Agentic AI, on the other hand, can act autonomously, plan tasks, interact with different systems, and make intermediate decisions to achieve a goal. While generative AI is reactive, Agentic AI is proactive, functioning as an agent that not only responds but executes entire processes from start to finish.
In practical terms, this means that an Agentic AI system will not only draft a contract when you ask it to but will also be able to:
- Review your existing contract database
- Detect incomplete or outdated documents
- Propose updates according to recent legislative changes
- Automatically notify internal stakeholders for review and signature
This turns Agentic AI into a strategic collaborator, capable of elevating automation to a new level — far beyond simple assistance.
2. The Opportunities It Brings to Legal Work
Adopting Agentic AI requires rethinking how legal processes are managed. Some of the most relevant opportunities include:
A. Intelligent Automation of Repetitive Tasks
Agentic AI can coordinate multiple steps in processes that traditionally required significant time and human supervision.
For example:
- Preparing document packages for due diligence processes
- Classifying contracts by type, risk, and expiration date without manual intervention
- Identifying conflicting clauses and automatically assigning them to specialized lawyers
This frees up teams to focus on strategy and high-value advisory work.
B. Integration with Corporate Systems
An agent can connect to corporate tools such as:
- Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems like Bigle
- Compliance and audit platforms
- Legal and case law databases
The result is an integrated and up-to-date view of all relevant legal information.
C. Improved Efficiency and Error Reduction
Thanks to its autonomous monitoring capabilities, Agentic AI can work in the background, reducing the likelihood of missing documents, deadlines, or regulatory changes.
This is particularly useful in highly regulated sectors such as banking, insurance, or pharmaceuticals, where strict compliance is essential.
3. Risks and Ethical Considerations You Can’t Ignore
While Agentic AI offers enormous advantages, it also brings new legal and ethical risks. Lawyers must anticipate these challenges to prevent future issues.
A. Transparency and Traceability
An agent acting autonomously must leave a clear record of its actions, enabling teams to audit its decisions. This is essential to demonstrate compliance during internal or external audits.
B. Legal Responsibility
Who is accountable if an agent makes an incorrect decision? This is one of the most pressing questions today.
C. Bias and Data Quality
Agentic AI depends on the data it processes. If the source information is incomplete or biased, the agent’s conclusions may be inaccurate and create risks.
You may be interested in: 5 clear steps for the ethical use of AI in legal departments
4. Practical Steps to Start Working with Agentic AI
Adopting Agentic AI doesn’t mean transforming every process overnight. The best approach is to move forward gradually and with control. Below is a practical roadmap to get started:
Step 1. Identify Candidate Processes
Begin with processes that are:
- Repetitive (e.g., reviewing standard contracts, monitoring expiration dates).
- Well-defined (with clear rules and objective criteria).
- Low-risk (administrative tasks before those with strategic impact).
This allows you to test and validate the technology without exposing the organization to unnecessary risks.
Step 2. Design Agents with Clear Roles
Define the specific function of each agent:
- Contract Agent: Automatic classification
- Compliance Agent: Regulatory monitoring and alert generation
- Reporting Agent: Preparation of reports for management
A clearly defined role prevents agents from acting outside their intended scope.
Step 3. Establish Human Control Points
Even though agents can work autonomously, human validation remains essential.
This can include:
- Final reviews before sending contracts for signature
- Validation of recommendations before policy updates
- Automatic approvals only for predefined cases
Step 4. Measure Results and Adjust
Once operational, evaluate regularly:
- Time saved in each process
- Accuracy of results
- Reduction in errors and detected risks
These metrics will allow you to justify the investment and plan expansion to additional processes.
Discover how Bigle's legal AI, Libra, will help you streamline your contract work.
5. The Future of the Legal Profession with Agentic AI
The rise of Agentic AI doesn’t mean lawyers will be replaced, rather, their role will evolve. Instead of focusing on administrative tasks, legal teams will dedicate more time to:
- Business strategy
- Negotiation and critical decision-making
- Ethical and legal oversight of agents
In this new context, lawyers who understand and master these technologies will be best positioned to lead the digital transformation of the legal sector.
Agentic AI represents a paradigm shift in how legal teams operate. It’s not just about automating tasks but about creating agents capable of acting proactively, anticipating problems, and optimizing complex processes.
