Thomson Reuters 2026 AI in Professional Services Report Key Findings

Generative AI Is No Longer Experimental

The 2026 AI in Professional Services Report by Thomson Reuters confirms a clear shift: generative AI has moved from experimentation to operational reality.

Forty percent of organizations surveyed say they are already using generative AI, nearly doubling from the previous year. More than half of professionals report using publicly available tools such as ChatGPT, and over 80 percent of current users rely on them at least weekly.

Most respondents believe generative AI will be a central part of their workflow within five years.

The early adopter phase is over. AI is now embedded in daily professional work.

A Large and Recent Global Survey

The data behind the report was gathered in October and November 2025 from 1,514 professionals across 27 countries. The majority of respondents were located in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Participants included:

• Corporate legal departments
• Corporate tax departments
• Corporate risk functions
• Independent law firms
• Independent tax and accounting firms
• Government legal departments

Respondents were screened to ensure familiarity with AI technology, and quotas were used to ensure representation across organization sizes and levels of AI knowledge.

This is structured, recent, international data reflecting how AI is actually being used in professional services today.

AI Is Primarily Used for Core Knowledge Work

Across sectors, the most common generative AI use cases remain consistent:

• Research
• Document review
• Document summarization
• Drafting briefs, memos, and correspondence
• Routine internal work

Professionals report that AI helps streamline repetitive tasks, improve efficiency, and accelerate access to information. Many view AI as a way to free time for higher value analysis, while maintaining human oversight.

This is exactly the type of work where structured AI workflows can support teams. Solutions like ReplyFabric focus on handling high volume professional communication, drafting, summarization, and knowledge retrieval inside shared inbox environments, helping teams operationalize these core knowledge tasks in a governed and controlled way.

Sentiment Is Largely Hopeful, but Risk Awareness Is Growing

Nearly two thirds of respondents believe generative AI should be applied to their work. More than half describe themselves as excited or hopeful about AI’s future.

The top reasons for support include:

• Increased efficiency and productivity
• Time savings
• Automation of routine tasks
• Potential cost reductions

These drivers align with why many teams adopt workflow tools in the first place. Platforms such as ReplyFabric aim to deliver efficiency and time savings while keeping human validation in place to preserve accountability.

Agentic AI Is Emerging, but Early

Agentic AI, defined in the report as systems capable of autonomously completing multi step tasks, is still in its growth phase.

Only 15 percent of organizations report current use. However, 53 percent are planning or considering adoption, and 77 percent expect agentic AI to become central to their workflow by 2030.

Sentiment toward agentic AI is cautiously positive. Many professionals see potential in automation of workflow processes, research, writing, and reporting. At the same time, concerns remain around autonomy, oversight, and reliability.

The trajectory suggests that agentic AI adoption today resembles where generative AI stood one to two years ago.

Business Model Pressure Is Increasing

The report highlights growing awareness that AI may reshape professional services economics.

More professionals in 2026 believe AI could:

• Impact jobs
• Reduce the need for certain types of work
• Disrupt traditional billing structures
• Affect firm revenue models

Around 80 percent of legal professionals view unauthorized practice of law as at least somewhat of a threat in the context of AI adoption.

In particular, hourly based billing models may face pressure if tasks that once required hours can now be completed in minutes.

The report does not predict collapse, but it clearly signals structural change.

ROI Measurement Remains Weak

Despite widespread adoption, only 18 percent of respondents say their organization measures the return on investment of AI tools.

Where measurement exists, it focuses primarily on:

• Internal cost savings
• Employee usage
• Employee satisfaction

Few organizations track client satisfaction, revenue generation, or new business directly linked to AI usage.

A significant portion of respondents do not even know whether ROI is being measured.

This creates a gap between operational experimentation and strategic accountability.

If professional services firms start deploying structured workflow tooling where outcomes are measurable, ROI reporting can look very different. For example, when teams adopt products like ReplyFabric in shared inbox environments, they can measure time to response, automation rates, and workload redistribution. That makes ROI more visible and often much higher than what gets captured when AI usage is ad hoc or untracked.

Clients Want AI, but Expectations Are Unclear

Corporate respondents largely believe their outside firms should use AI. However, fewer than 20 percent mandate its use through formal guidelines or procurement requirements.

Many firms report receiving mixed signals from clients. Some are encouraged to use AI, while others are advised not to.

Both sides believe firms should take the initiative in starting conversations about AI usage.

Alignment is still evolving.

From Exploration to Strategic Planning

The central conclusion of the report is not about tools. It is about maturity.

Professional services organizations are moving from:

Exploration → Experimentation → Integration → Strategic planning.

AI is no longer a novelty. It is becoming infrastructure.

The next phase will be defined by:

• Clear governance
• Measurable outcomes
• Transparent client communication
• Alignment with broader business strategy

The question is no longer whether AI will shape professional services. It already does.

The question is how deliberately and strategically organizations respond.

📥 Download the Thomson Reuters report: 2026 AI in Professional Services Report