Corporate legal departments and law firms in China are weaving AI more deeply into daily operations, but a new survey reveals a stark confidence gap: while 90% of legal professionals use AI, only about a third feel well-prepared to manage the compliance, data privacy, and ethics risks that come with it. The findings, released July 16 in the Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory 2026 Future Ready Lawyer Survey, were the focus of a webinar panel of China-based legal leaders who explored the responsible use of AI in the profession.
AI adoption in China's legal market is already mainstream
Christie Wang, vice president and managing director of Wolters Kluwer Global Growth Markets China, said AI is "no longer a future concept, it is already part of day-to-day legal work." But she cautioned that maturity isn't just about how many people use AI - it's about how well they use it. She expects the next phase of maturity will see legal practitioners using AI for Legal tools with increased skill and confidence.
Greater law firm efficiency
Steven Zhou, Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator of AIJA and partner at Huiye Law Firm, said his firm has already seen efficiency gains from building its own AI-based management system. The firm employs more than 2,500 people across 43 offices. Zhou noted that AI has been especially valuable in knowledge management, reducing the manual work of organizing and retrieving legal documents. "Given the efficiency in both our internal operations and our service delivery, we definitely believe that a further investment in AI is cost efficient," he said.
The need for caution and having a human in the loop
Huandong Gao, global general counsel at Midea Group, stressed that legal experience and expertise remain essential. "If AI is relied upon without appropriate human intervention, big problems can emerge," he said, because AI often fails to identify fundamental legal, compliance, and liability issues. Gao supports introducing AI technology cautiously, with senior lawyers involved in developing company know-how.
Building trust into products
Simon Ye, associate director of product software engineering at Wolters Kluwer, said AI systems should embed safety and compliance features rather than requiring users to figure them out. "If a tool requires a lot of training it is probably too complex," he said. AI should feel like a natural extension of legal work, not a new skill to learn. He also recommended guided prompts and structured outputs so lawyers can adopt AI safely without deep technical knowledge.
A window on legal training in the AI age
Brian Tang, executive director of the LITE Lab at Hong Kong University, described programs where students build AI-driven law firms with automated client intake and case management systems. The students work with law firms and multinational in-house groups on AI proof-of-concept projects. So far, LITE Lab students have collaborated with about 130 startups. Tang said students are also tackling AI governance issues with input from industry collaborators.
Why this matters for legal professionals
The survey and panel discussion make clear that AI adoption is no longer optional for legal departments and firms in China. The real challenge is managing risk, maintaining human oversight, and building trust in AI outputs. Legal professionals who invest in governance frameworks and practical AI training now will be better positioned to use the technology safely and gain a competitive edge.
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