Knut Magnar on working with legal AI without losing the lawyer’s brain

In this episode of Beyond Billable, Pim Betist talks with Knut Magnar Annestad, founder of the legal AI platform Saga and legal process engineer.

Knut Magnar shares his journey from lawyer to entrepreneur and explains why improving legal work often clashes with the billable hour model. He reflects on the moments where doing things better was seen as a threat rather than progress, and why that never stopped him from pushing forward.

The conversation then moves to generative AI and legal work. Knut Magnar explains how lawyers can use AI to prepare, structure and challenge their thinking without losing the human judgment that makes legal work valuable. He talks about the risks of using AI as a shortcut, the importance of learning through friction, and why real transformation in law happens in small, deliberate steps.

This episode was recorded at Lexpo 2025 and combines personal lessons with practical insights on legal processes, innovation and the role of AI in the legal profession.

Disclaimer: we are not affiliated with Saga or with any other legal AI vendor. This conversation is not sponsored, and we do not promote specific AI tools on this podcast.

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