The 4 Stages Every PI Firm Goes Through

Every major tech update follows the same arc.

There are some early adopters, but most people resist it.

Then, curiosity takes over and you experiment.

You see what others are doing with it.

That leads to integration.

And then finally, it's a permanent part of your business.

Now, let's zoom in on this today.

There are four stages every PI firm moves through when adopting disruptive technology.

A lot of firms won’t make it past Stage 2 for awhile.

This is random experimentation.

For example:

Someone tries ChatGPT for a demand letter.

Or tests Claude for a med summary.

There's no written policy or guardrails.

It feels productive, but it's actually dangerous.

This is where most firms are right now.

Now the fear kicks in.

Some people have gotten in trouble for incorrect use.

“Don’t paste client info.”

“Only use it for drafting.”

“Be careful.”

Maybe a memo goes out.

Or usage is restricted.

It's slightly more organized than Stage 1, but still reactive.

The workflow and process are still unclear.

This is where things change.

AI isn’t a toy anymore.

It’s embedded intentionally into specific workflows:

– Intake triage

– Medical record review

– Timeline building

– Internal document search

– Deposition prep

You've taken full ownership of the tech.

There are policies and boundaries in place.

This is where you actually build leverage.

Now it’s part of your business.

Someone has ownership over AI workflows.

There are SOPs and training protocols.

You can see measurable efficiency gains.

There’s privilege protection built in.

At this stage, AI isn't experimental.

It feels normal.

Most firms will hover between Stage 1 and Stage 2 for the next year.

Arguing internally and doing random tests.

Restricting with caution.

The firms that deliberately move into Stage 3 and 4 won’t announce it to the world.

They’ll just get faster and more efficient.

So you won't know it… until you look up and they're too far ahead.

On Tuesday, we will show what Stage 3 actually looks like inside a PI firm.

Then you'll know the pathway to get there with less friction.

We're talking about the workflows and guardrails you need.

If you want to leave behind the circus and confusion spreading around social media right now...

And start to take control and get ahead of this AI thing quickly...

Tuesday's newsletter may be one of the most important pieces of info you read all year.

P.S. If you want a clearer picture of what’s happening…

See what we’ve been tracking the last few weeks.

AI sanctions…

VC-backed law firms…

300+ PI firms admitting what’s really happening…

The intake gaps no one wants to talk about.

It’s all here: www.thepibrief.com/archive

Go read a few.

Then decide if you want to stay ahead of this.

If you’d like to be considered for a feature in an upcoming issue of The PI Brief…

Hit reply with the word “feature.”

We’ll send over a few quick questions.

No cost or pitch.

Just spotlighting PI firms doing great work.

Or if you prefer, join the feature waitlist here:

Until next time,

-The PI Brief