Pearls On, Gloves Off #73 - Futurist Says: Legal’s Real Risk Is Playing It Safe
In this episode, Mary sits down with futurist and bestselling author Mike Walsh to explore what happens when a tradition-bound industry like law collides with generative AI. Walsh, CEO of Tomorrow and author of The Algorithmic Leader, has advised the world's biggest companies on digital transformation—and he believes legal is facing a moment of radical reinvention.
Together, they pull no punches on what the next decade will bring, why legal might be the most vulnerable industry of all, and how leaders can stop dabbling in AI and start building the future.
In this episode:
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The Law of (AI) Acceleration: Why COVID-19 was just the warm-up, and how AI is catalyzing changes that would’ve taken another decade to materialize.
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The End of the Billable Hour? Walsh and Mary go deep on how AI threatens professional services’ most sacred cow—and what firms must do to stay profitable.
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The Risk of Inaction: Playing it safe is no longer the safe move. Legal leaders who cling to the past may be making the riskiest bet of all.
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The Fifth Industrial Revolution: AI isn’t just another tech tool—it’s the next electricity. What that means for organizations, talent, and operating models.
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Smart, Lazy People Wanted: Why the most valuable hires today are the ones who automate themselves out of a job.
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Legal as a Living System: A bold new vision for in-house teams—dynamic, embedded, and redefining how companies manage risk in real-time.
If you’re wondering what it really means to future-proof a legal org—or whether that concept is a myth to begin with—this episode will give you a front-row seat to the disruption already underway.