P2P

P E E R T O P E E R M A G A Z I N E · S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 99 MICHAEL STACK Michael Stack is the Practice Support Director at Bricker Graydon Wyatt LLP. Michael is a member of both the Ohio Bar and Florida Bar, and he spent the formative years of his career in the world of ediscovery, primarily in commercial litigation. As a licensed attorney with over a decade of experience managing the complexities of data applied to the legal industry, a key part of his role at the firm is bridging the gap between law and technology. Michael is an AI advocate and early adopter, a leading member of his firm's AI Working Group, an instructor on the ethical use of AI, and he is the co-host of a BGW AI podcast series designed to educate attorneys on all things artificial intelligence. transformational technology at the "Peak of Inflated Expectations" in 2024 to the "Trough of Disil- lusionment" in 2025 as organ- izations gained further under- standing of its limits. C'est la vie, sayonara, and on to agentic AI? Perhaps not, but the sliding scale of how people view new technol- ogies highlights the importance of setting clear expectations. And for those involved in technology rollouts, do not forget a back-of- house concept lovingly called "The Swamp of Implementation," oth- erwise known as the difficulty in implementing an untested, novel tool into the existing tech stack. Setting the proper expectations, while asking for a little patience and grace, is instrumental to the process. Sophisticated clients are also starting to change expectations and seek different outcomes from legal counsel. At my firm, there is an emerging gap in expected AI use across clients. Many institu- tional clients forbid AI use in their outside counsel guidelines, but some clients require AI use to pro- mote efficiency and reduce legal fees -- a select few even require an explanation of the value received from AI and how it is passed on to them. Proactive conversations with clients on expectations, guardrails, and value are essential. LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE As AI tools continue to mature, legal professionals face a plethora of choices about how to best im- plement them into practice, with the goal of working better, faster, and smarter. Ready or not, AI will increasingly integrate into legal workflows. Attorneys and technolo- gists who approach adoption strate- gically -- solving real problems, providing sound governance, and setting clear expectations -- will be best positioned to deliver value. This shift towards AI maturity chal- lenges us to explore our potential and enhance the quality of legal services provided while preserving core responsibilities. As Arthur C. Clarke once said, "The only way of discovering the limits of the pos- sible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible." With the power of AI, what is possible today, tomorrow, and beyond? To find out, all that is needed is a good plan, a little confidence, and a lot of prompt engineering.

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