The Harvey AI Revolution: Changing the Face of Law in the UK

The legal sector is no stranger to innovation and Harvey AI, a generative AI that’s the next big thing to impact on how law firms work. With natural language processing, machine learning and data analytics Harvey AI is designed for lawyers, helping with tasks like contract analysis, due diligence and regulatory compliance. In the UK this technology is moving fast and, in this article, we look at how Harvey AI is changing the UK legal landscape.

And, with a recent investment from Open.AI, the creator of ChatGPT, many are wondering what this technology means for the future of law.

Harvey AI is still in beta, and time will truly tell what this technology’s impact on the legal industry will be. However, for now, we’ll cover what we know about Harvey AI—and how legal professionals can responsibly explore this new offering.

Harvey AI is already available to UK law firms, as evidenced by Allen & Overy, a major UK law firm, adopting the AI tool in February 2023.

The Future of Artificial Intelligence in the Legal Industry

With the advancement of generative AI solutions like ChatGPT, we have more insight than ever into how these groundbreaking technologies will influence the future of the legal industry.

What is Harvey AI?

Harvey AI uses artificial intelligence to automate and improve legal workflows. From drafting documents to analysing complex data sets, it gives lawyers tools to carry out tasks more accurately and efficiently. This game-changing technology is going to change the way law firms work by reducing manual workload and allow firms to focus on higher-value work.

Like ChatGPT, Harvey AI is built on a version of Open.AI’s GPT AI. Unlike ChatGPT, Harvey AI supports legal work. How? Starting with general internet data from the GPT model, Harvey AI was further trained with general legal data (including case law and reference materials). When engaged by a firm, Harvey AI is then trained by the firm’s own work products and templates (much like a new employee’s onboarding when joining a law firm!). The right prompts go a long way when it comes to the effectiveness of generative AI.

UK law firms adopting AI tools

Several UK law firms and other legal professionals are already using Harvey AI as part of their business. Allen & Overy started using Harvey AI in February 2023 to streamline document drafting and research. Ashurst has launched a global partnership with Harvey AI to boost its technology. Macfarlanes renewed its partnership with Harvey AI to progress its AI strategy. These are just a few examples of the legal profession’s growing recognition of AI as a “must-have” to stay competitive in the UK legal market.

Open.AI invests in Harvey AI

Despite still being in beta, Harvey AI has already made significant strides in the legal industry:

• Adopted by major law firms like Allen & Overy, where approximately 3,500 lawyers use the platform, generating around 40,000 queries.
• Secured key partnerships with PwC, Macfarlanes, and the Singapore Courts.
• Attracted major investment, including $5 million from OpenAI’s Startup Fund and $21 million in Series A funding led by Sequoia Capital.
• Expanded accessibility with a March 2024 launch on Microsoft Azure, making the platform more widely available to legal professionals.

While Harvey AI continues to evolve, it remains in the testing and development phase, operating under careful human supervision to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Changing the traditional model of legal services

AI technologies like Harvey AI are not just changing how routine tasks are done. They’re also changing the business model. A Legal Futures report predicts 2025 will be the year of AI for law firms and firms will have to rethink their fee structures and service delivery. The Financial Times says generative AI will disrupt the billable hour model and firms will have to move to fixed or value-based pricing. This could lead to better client satisfaction and increased efficiency. According to the latest Legal Trends Report, 54% of UK firms expect an increase in fixed-fee billing this year. 

Read more: Advantages to Fixed Fee Billing in Law

Law Society guidance

The Law Society has issued guidance to help solicitors with the adoption of AI. This includes advice on managing the key issues of client confidentiality, client relationships, accountability and automation bias. By addressing these issues, the Law Society wants to ensure that AI is used responsibly and that legal services are ethically delivered.

Opportunities and challenges

Whilst the benefits of AI in legal work are clear, there are challenges. Many law firms worry about data protection, reliability and employment. However, those who get AI right will gain a competitive advantage. By using Harvey AI responsibly, law firms can be more productive, more accurate and deliver better client outcomes all while managing the ethical issues.

The future of generative AI in the UK legal market

As AI develops, its impact on the UK legal market, particularly in legal research, will only get bigger. Firms that get in early will be the ones who lead on innovation, efficiency and client satisfaction. But careful planning and adherence to ethical standards will be key to long term success. Harvey AI is a big opportunity for the profession to re-imagine itself and the future is looking good for the UK legal industry.

Harvey AI is not just a product; it’s a game changer for the legal sector. By getting the opportunities and challenges right UK law firms can get the most out of it for clients and the future of law.

How AI can help firms (and their clients)

The potential benefits of legal AI like Harvey are clear: using AI to assist with research, drafting, and other routine legal tasks could help save law firms time—and cut down on their clients’ bills.

Technology plays a critical part in law firm success. For example, as we noted in the latest Legal Trends Report, lawyers using cloud-based legal practice management software were more likely to report:

• Greater satisfaction in their personal and professional lives
• Better relationships with clients and colleagues
• Good performance in their jobs

Likewise, clients benefit. The latest Legal Trends Report found that lawyers using cloud-based legal practice management software were more likely to have satisfied clients. Responsiveness is also a key factor for client satisfaction—they want answers, and they want them quickly.

These statistics suggest AI, like legal practice management software, offers benefits to modern law firms—by streamlining tasks and cutting down on response times, lawyers can minimise the time spent on routine tasks while providing a high level of service to clients.

Risks associated with artificial intelligence

Despite the excitement surrounding AI, we also know AI isn’t a complete replacement for a lawyer’s experience and wisdom. As we’ve previously mentioned, programs like ChatGPT have been known to provide incorrect information—to say nothing of the ethical considerations involved, along with security, client privacy, and privilege issues arising through transmitting sensitive information.

If you’re considering AI tools for your law firm, be sure to consult any SRA compliance considerations and vet prospective AI vendors carefully. Once you’ve settled on a particular tool, it’s essential to use AI responsibly.

Remember: AI is not a replacement for a solicitor’s experience and wisdom, and any responses and work products should be checked carefully.

Final notes on Harvey AI

It’s an exciting time to be a solicitor—with so many AI advancements standing ready to change how we work, the possibilities seem endless. On the flip side, with new options arising, it’s never been more crucial to think critically about embracing technology responsibly to amplify your impact.

We published this blog post in January 2025. Last updated: February 28, 2025.

Categorized in: Technology