Lawyers working for some of Australia’s best-known companies say the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence is already changing how they work, that it will not put them out of a job, and that they are taking personal training to stay competitive in the AI era.

As chief executives and executives across corporate Australia clamour to get on the front foot in understanding and deploying AI tools, the lawyers running their legal departments are scrambling to understand both how their companies should be using AI safely, and how AI tools can help them work smarter.