Here's what's new in the world of AI tools relevant to legal professionals this week.

1. Cleary acquires AI legaltech developer. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP announced the acquisition of Springbok AI, a generative AI product development company specializing in legal technology, on March 17, 2025.^[1] Historically, law firms hesitated to develop software internally due to high costs and resource constraints. However, recent advancements in software development (e.g., cloud computing, standardized APIs, and AI-powered development tools) have reduced these barriers, making in-house AI development more feasible and attractive.

2. ServiceNow announces acquisition of Moveworks. ServiceNow announced its plan to acquire Moveworks, an AI assistant provider, for $2.85 billion in cash and stock. This acquisition aims to enhance ServiceNow's AI capabilities and represents its largest deal to date. In addition to its chatbot features, Moveworks reports that its tools can proactively engage with users, such as by offering timely reminders regarding upcoming tasks.^[2]

3. NVIDIA and xAI join Microsoft and BlackRock in pledge to invest $30 billion in AI infrastructure. NVIDIA and Elon Musk's xAI have joined Microsoft and BlackRock in the AI Infrastructure Partnership, collectively committing over $30 billion to expand U.S. AI infrastructure. This initiative aims to develop data centers and energy facilities to support the growing demands of AI applications. The partnership also includes GE Vernova and NextEra Energy, focusing on scaling diverse energy solutions for AI data centers.^[3]

4. EY announces AI platform. Established professional services firms are increasingly embedding AI into their core services. For instance, EY has launched the EY.ai Agentic Platform in collaboration with NVIDIA, deploying 150 AI "agents" for tax and compliance tasks, including about 30 million tax processes in the coming year.^[4]

5. What is an AI "agent"? In recent months, there has been substantial discussion and debate over how to define an AI "agent". isn't a clear-cut concept but rather a spectrum. But along what dimension does this spectrum extend? One possibility is time—specifically, how long an AI system can operate autonomously and accurately without human intervention. Recent research suggests that every ~7 months, AI can handle 2x longer tasks before its accuracy drops below 50%.^[5] Today, an AI system can operate independently for ~30 minutes before its accuracy drops below 50%.^[6] In 2023, the figure was closer to 30 seconds. Maybe that's why AI is starting to feel more like an agent now.^[7]

These developments collectively suggest a future where law firms and other professional services providers not only adopt AI technologies but also actively participate in their development and customization.

Conflicts of Interest. The author practiced law for six years at Ropes & Gray LLP prior to co-founding UseJunior. UseJunior is a member of both Google for Startups and Microsoft for Startups and has received grants and in-kind contributions in connection with these programs. The views expressed herein are our own and do not represent the views of Google, Microsoft or Ropes & Gray LLP. This is not legal advice.

References

1] Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Cleary Gottlieb Acquires Springbok AI (Mar. 17, 2025), [https://www.clearygottlieb.com/news-and-insights/news-listing/cleary-gottlieb-acquires-springbok-ai.

2] ServiceNow, ServiceNow to Acquire Moveworks to Extend Leading Agentic AI to Every Employee (Mar. 10, 2025), [https://www.servicenow.com/company/media/press-room/servicenow-to-acquire-moveworks.html.

3] BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, Microsoft, & MGX Welcome NVIDIA & xAI to the AI Infrastructure Partnership to Drive Investment in Data Centers and Enabling Infrastructure (Mar. 19, 2025), [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250319657952/en/BlackRock-Global-Infrastructure-Partners-Microsoft-and-MGX-Welcome-NVIDIA-and-xAI-to-the-AI-Infrastructure-Partnership-to-Drive-Investment-in-Data-Centers-and-Enabling-Infrastructure.

4] Ernst & Young Global Limited, EY Launching [EY.ai Agentic Platform, Created with NVIDIA AI, to Drive Multi-Sector Transformation Starting with Tax, Risk, and Finance Domains (Mar. 18, 2025), https://www.ey.com/en_gl/newsroom/2025/03/ey-launching-ey-ai-agentic-platform-created-with-nvidia-ai-to-drive-multi-sector-transformation-starting-with-tax-risk-and-finance-domains.

5] Kwa, Thomas, et al. "Measuring AI Ability to Complete Long Tasks." arXiv (Mar. 18, 2025), [https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2503.14499.

^[6] Id. at 2. This is also consistent with our personal experience at UseJunior.

^[7] Id.