AI tools are transforming discovery-intensive work. They reduce time spent and costs associated with fact investigations by as much as 80 percent and help every member of your legal department, law firm, and external supplier perform better.

AI technologies transform legal knowledge work across the entire discovery lifecycle, starting with internal investigations. As AI assistants evolve beyond their initial limitations of analyzing several thousand documents at a time, systems are now capable of working across tens of millions of documents at a time. This development is expanding utility for in-house teams who find themselves navigating heavy caseloads and data volumes growing at a much faster pace than internal budgets.

AI Assistants Empower Legal Teams

Historically, internal investigations have operated under resource constraints, limited information about the matter, minimal staff, compressed timelines, and budget pressures that impact external spend. Corporate internal investigators frequently work alone or with a very lean team. The best equipped teams, however, have a deep bench of individual contributors.

This limitation shapes outcomes, not just in speed or scope, but in the strategic and substantive value of the insights and conclusions that each team is able to infer. A case team member working with a similarly well-versed colleague has advantages over a member working alone. However, the arrival of scalable AI assistants is helping to close that gap.

From Witness Preparation to Enterprise-Wide Impact

While examining the role of AI in document-intensive fact research, measurable improvements in relevant research conclude that AI reshapes how knowledge workers and legal teams, in particular, approach document-intensive fact research. It boosts productivity, enhances work experience, and drives cost efficiency. Epiq has observed that AI workflows not only improve productivity in these tasks by up to 45x, but legal professionals also report an improved work experience and ability to create more comprehensive and insightful work product.

For the broader legal profession, this addresses the implication that comprehensive, document-driven research and fact development remain essential throughout each stage of the discovery process. The same AI capabilities that help legal departments and their internal teams uncover dispositive facts and conduct interviews during internal investigations also help outside counsel test case themes and prepare for key depositions in subsequent litigation. The result is an intuitive system that learns and retains knowledge as your matter evolves, while placing counsel in the best possible position to resolve the matter as the facts and posture evolve.

Three Strategic Advantages of AI in Internal Investigations

AI tools process vast amounts of data, allowing investigators to address complex matters without needing to significantly expand teams. This scalability positions team members to handle larger caseloads and more complex tasks efficiently.

Automation also accelerates the timeline for resolving legal matters, helping to avoid unnecessary costs. By rapidly generating insights, AI reduces the need to escalate cases to external counsel, shortens review cycles, and ultimately reduces spend as it speeds up the path to resolution.

When collaboration with outside counsel becomes necessary, AI work product, such as investigative summaries, insights, and analyses, facilitates a seamless handoff. This allows law firm teams to begin their work already informed, rather than starting from scratch. All this leads to tighter alignment among teams and streamlined outcomes.

A Glimpse Into the Future of Knowledge Work

A recent field experiment from Harvard Business School provides empirical reinforcement that AI not only saves time but also improves the work output. In The Cybernetic Teammate, researchers found that individuals using AI matched the performance of human teams on innovation tasks at Procter & Gamble. More than just a performance boost, AI broke down functional silos, allowing R&D and commercial professionals to converge on more balanced solutions.

For legal and compliance teams, this insight carries profound implications. AI is no longer a tool for mechanical acceleration; it is emerging as a collaborative teammate, one that enhances expertise sharing, sharpens decision-making, and reduces organisational friction. In the context of internal investigations, it can help unify disparate inputs across Legal, Compliance, IT, and HR, allowing lean teams to punch above their weight.

Legal Teams Leading With Enhanced Insight

By deploying AI before litigation commences early, organisations shift from reactive to proactive: a proving ground for how next-generation legal and compliance operations will be run.

With scalable AI teammates, corporate legal departments are no longer constrained by the size of their teams or the volume of their data. They’re limited only by their willingness to embrace a new mode of collaboration, one where AI doesn’t replace the human lawyer but empowers them.

The future of legal operations is not just digital, it’s cybernetic. Organisations that thrive will be those that understand how to integrate AI as both a tool and a teammate. AI is a sounding board against which to test, iterate, and improve the work of every team member.

Learn More about Epiq Internal Investigations.
 

Sanjay Manocha, Senior Director, AI Business Development, Epiq AI Labs
Sanjay Manocha is a seasoned executive at the forefront of legal AI innovation and transformation, with over 25 years of entrepreneurial and legal experience. A former practicing lawyer, Sanjay has led strategic initiatives across law firms, startups, and global corporations.