How to Think About AI: Richard Susskind on What General Counsel Need to Know Now
April 10, 2026
Richard Susskind, world-renowned author of "How to Think About AI," joins Axiom’s Daniel Hayter and CJ Saretto for a lively discussion on how AGI will shape the future of lawyers and legal work. Susskind argues GCs must run short-term efficiency programs while building parallel teams planning for the 2030s—when AI moves legal expertise inside the product, not the department, and law firms' clients become the competition. His call to action: Stop automating existing work; build systems that eliminate the need for it.
Susskind draws on 45 years in AI and research across eight professions to frame legal as among the most technology-resistant fields and the most exposed. He introduces "incremental transformation" as a planning framework, previews compliance becoming embedded in operational systems, and offers a practical starting point: Mandate daily AI use before investing in formal pilots. Lean in.
Richard Susskind, Author, Speaker & Independent Adviser; President, Society for Computers and Law; Professor, Oxford University and Strathclyde University
Daniel Hayter, Managing Director & VP of Europe, Axiom
Author, Advisor, and President of the Society for Computers and Law
Susskind.com
Richard is an author, speaker, and independent adviser to international professional firms and national governments. He holds professorships at Oxford University and Strathclyde University, he is President of the Society for Computers and Law, and for 25 years was Technology Adviser to the Lord Chief Justice of England.
Daniel Hayter
Managing Director & VP of Europe
Axiom
CJ Saretto
CTO
Axiom
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