Originally published in The Legal Intelligencer/law.com
From children’s classrooms to the carpeted halls of the biggest law firms, alarms about the detrimental effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on learning opportunities and development are sounding. When AI steps in to do the job, how can humans learn the essential skills they need to be successful? How will they advance without the years of experience predecessors required to hone their craft, develop resilience and master judgment?
These are all valid concerns, but perhaps (in the words of reframing expert Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg) we are not asking the right question.
The Real Risk of AI
Yes, AI carries risks to developmental opportunities. When used as a replacement or crutch, when relied on too heavily early in one’s learning or when accepted as a single source of truth, the dangers are real. Recent studies show overreliance on AI can weaken cognitive thinking skills, hamper creativity and even lower job satisfaction as workers feel their skills are underutilized or grow uncertain about their futures. Yet like virtually any new technology, the full benefits of AI remain largely unleashed.
Consider advent of the written word, for example—the very tool being used to convey this message. Initially, Socrates voiced deep skepticism about writing, suggesting it would undermine memory and impede true learning. He suggested writing would offer “the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom, for they [pupils] will read many things without instruction.” He was wrong.
Without the written word, society would not have advanced as it has. Writing became the backbone of history, law and science, allowing us to record, build and evolve in ways not possible relying on memory alone. The possibilities proffered by AI, similarly, are only beginning to surface, including its potential to help humans evolve, develop and grow beyond current capacities.
Returning to today: AI already provides multi-faceted opportunities to further learning and development—for yourself and others. Mastering AI prompting skills? That discipline translates directly into becoming a more effective teacher, mentor and manager. Curious on how AI can supplement learning? Tap into it as a training ground, practice partner and a personalization tool. Here’s how.
AI Makes You a Better Teacher, Whether You Realize It or Not
Learning to prompt AI well is, in itself, a masterclass in communication. Consider four ways it sharpens your ability to teach, mentor and lead others:
Clarity—Effective prompts eliminate assumptions. They don’t take knowledge for granted. They state guidelines precisely and completely. These are the same skills that define great mentors and effective managers. Every refinement of a prompt is an opportunity to learn how to better define expectations, give direction and make the implicit explicit.
Judgment—Done well, it is rare to accept output wholesale. It is iterated, polished and pressure-tested by experience and insight. The best users of AI accept the tool may not have the judgment to discern nuance or the big picture. To get the right output, they will ask questions, redirect or educate. Sound familiar? It should (especially if the Socratic method is a familiar part of the learning journey). It is what great teachers do every day to help those around them expand their horizons and gain skills in independent thinking.
Simplification—To effectively utilize AI demands distilling compound inquiries into simple requests. Understanding how complexity breaks down into bite-sized chunks can help managers define processes, better dole out roles and responsibilities and add clarity to otherwise intricate issues. Bonus—this is also a useful skill when engaging clients, crafting proposals or … writing articles!
Curiosity—AI surfaces new perspectives and approaches. The willingness to learn from these tools—to ask questions and expand one’s thinking—is the same orientation that makes for impactful collaboration. Seeing new ideas, approaches and ways of thinking expands not only individuals but also what teams and firms can accomplish. Innovation flourishes when inviting diverse perspectives. A word of caution, particularly for those who place significant weight on tenure and experience: don't discount a perspective simply because its source is unfamiliar. The insight may be more valuable than the origin suggests. (This is an especially valid point for Baby Boomers who tend to place extra value on experience).
Leveraging AI as a Learning Tool
AI’s benefits are not limited to those in roles of mentors, managers and teachers. Deployed well, it can also serve as a powerful aide in amplifying learning opportunities—even providing an advantage over time-tested methods to accelerate growth and lower risk in certain competencies.
Interconnectivity—Encourage thinking about how concepts apply personally—to one’s self, clients, teams or practice. This personalization cannot be outsourced easily to AI. Making these connections forces self-reflection and genuine exploration. It uses the concept of applied learning to make any lesson more applicable—and lasting—and adult learning hallmark.
Practice conversations—AI offers a remarkably useful, low-stakes environment in which to hone human skills—without the risk of offending any humans. Client discussions, mentorship conversations, feedback delivery, business development pitches – all can be role played with AI as a responsive, patient partner. Plus, specific variables can be adjusted to allow for practicing when others are hostile, defensive, incredulous, confused and more, simply by asking the AI to take a certain frame or point of view. AI is not a replacement for real human interactions. It is, however, an ideal place to rehearse and build confidence before the stakes are real. Faster learning, fewer costly missteps.
Individual learning assessments—Consult formal job descriptions or expectations for a current position or one aspired to next. Prompt AI to design a targeted assessment of those skills then evaluate how your development stacks up. The result is a personalized learning roadmap—for yourself or your team—that directs often-limited time toward the programs and investments that matter most.
Scenario planning and judgment development—Present AI with a realistic client or leadership dilemma and ask it to walk through multiple approaches and their likely consequences. Then react, push back, stress-test. This builds the kind of judgment that traditionally only comes from years of lived experience—compressed into an accessible, repeatable exercise.
What AI Can’t Replace
For all its utility, AI is not a mentor. AI is not a replacement for human-led mentorship or training and cannot replicate one-on-one interactions. Humans need empathy. Critical feedback, connection, understanding and, at times, interventions and guidance outside of the constraints of AI are the building blocks for human connection, trust and relationships. These are the very premise behind our article, "The Human Factor: Why AI Adoption Requires a People-First Approach."
There is also a structural limitation worth naming directly. AI is a “people pleasing” tool. Its output is shaped by what it believes the user wants to hear. This tendency can quietly stunt real development, particularly in the hands of those lacking self-awareness, early in their professional maturity or simply less invested in harder work of genuine growth. A good mentor tells you what you need to hear. AI, left unchecked, tells you what you want to hear. The difference is not trivial.
The Right Question
The question facing law firm leaders is not whether AI will affect professional development. It already has.
The better question—the right question—is whether your firm will lead the evolution or simply react to it. Used with intention and clear guardrails, AI is not the silent killer of professional development. It may be, in fact, the best coach you've never thought to hire.
Reprinted with permission from the March 18th edition of the Legal Intelligencer © 2026 ALM Global Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited, contact 877-256-2472 or asset-and-logo-licensing@alm.com.