Who’s Actually Using Legal AI? Early Adopters, Skeptics & the Future of Patent Law Episode 5

Saskia van Ryneveld and Sumair, VP of Business Development at IP Author, dig into a distinction that cuts to the heart of how patent professionals are actually engaging with AI: the difference between being an AI tourist and an AI resident. Tourists experiment, take a few tools for a spin, and return to their old workflows. Residents integrate AI deeply enough that it changes how they practice, not just how fast they complete individual tasks. The conversation covers how patent attorneys are using AI as a skill multiplier rather than a substitute for legal expertise, and why the distinction matters for the quality of output. Sumair also walks through the differences he observes between European and US patent professionals in their pace and style of adoption, including where resistance tends to come from and what drives genuine uptake. The professionals who are shaping how legal AI tools actually get built and refined are the ones using them most critically today. That feedback loop between power users and developers is where the real evolution of AI in patent practice is happening. Published on Subwave https://subwave.app/@ipauthor/post/whos-actually-using-legal-ai-early-adopters-skeptics--the-future-of-patent-law-episode-5