Intellectual Property Lawyer

AI Impact Assessment

AI is actively being used in many tasks within this career, though human expertise remains important. Graduates who understand AI tools will have a competitive advantage.

Methodology: Anthropic's March 2026 research into real-world AI task adoption across occupations.

Evolving Role — Adaptation Required

Careers at this exposure level represent some of the most interesting opportunities in the AI era. They combine the efficiency gains of automation with the irreplaceable value of human skill. As AI handles the boring parts, professionals can focus on the more rewarding, creative, and impactful aspects of their work — which is genuinely good for job satisfaction and career longevity.

AI tools will become standard in your workflow — not replacing you, but handling the repetitive parts so you can focus on higher-value work. Companies that adopt AI early will outperform those that don't, which means employers will increasingly look for candidates who are comfortable with these tools. Start getting familiar now, even just experimenting with free tools, and you'll be well ahead.

The balance of your work will shift. Tasks that take hours today — research, analysis, drafting, scheduling — will take minutes with AI assistance. This means more of your time will go towards complex problem-solving, stakeholder management, and creative thinking. New specialisations will emerge that combine your domain expertise with AI capability. The career path will be different, but arguably more interesting.

The sheer volume of roles in this space will have likely shrunk as AI and automation handle the vast majority of the current workload. Rather than large teams doing this job, a smaller number of highly-paid "orchestrators" will manage fleets of AI agents while handling only the most complex, high-stakes human judgements. The entry-level path will have largely disappeared, making continuous upskilling into strategy and management essential.

AI as Your Co-Pilot

Start using AI tools in your daily work now — for drafting, research, analysis and routine communication. The goal is fluency, not expertise.

Deepen Domain Expertise

AI can handle generic tasks, but deep, specialist knowledge in your specific industry is irreplaceable. Become the person who knows what the AI doesn't.

Build Cross-Functional Skills

Roles that combine technical understanding with business acumen or creative thinking are the hardest to automate and the most valuable to employers.

Stay Current

Follow developments in AI tooling relevant to your industry. The landscape changes quarterly. Professionals who stay informed will adapt faster.