I switched my smart home to Gemini before the Google Assistant shutdown; here's what broke

Alphabet's Google has announced the expansion of its Gemini Enterprise artificial intelligence platform, introducing new tools specifically designed for law firms and legal professionals. This move is part of a growing trend among tech companies to cater to the legal sector's demand for AI solutions. Google's Gemini Enterprise for Legal aims to streamline routine and complex legal work, enabling lawyers to focus on higher-value services while ensuring data security and confidentiality.

The platform's new features include integration with legal software and data platforms, as well as a suite of AI agents capable of handling specialized legal and administrative tasks with minimal human oversight. Alphabet launched Gemini Enterprise for business customers in October, seeking to attract more corporate clients to its AI offerings. Google Cloud has emerged as one of Alphabet's fastest-growing businesses.

In addition to the legal sector, Google unveiled industry tools for the financial services sector and plans to roll out other industry-specific offerings in the future. Rival AI companies like Anthropic have also been expanding their enterprise offerings, including in the legal domain.

A 2026 Deloitte report revealed that law firms are heavily investing in AI technology as part of a transformation process that is still in its early stages. Thomson Reuters, the owner of Reuters and Westlaw's legal research database, is among the competitors vying for market share in the legal industry.

On the same day as Google's announcement, it launched its own large language model called Thomson 1.0, which is trained on its legal research content and built for professional work. Thomson 1.0 utilizes open-source technology and draws upon decades of authoritative legal content from Thomson Reuters. Google stated that its platform will connect directly and securely with other legal technology platforms, such as Thomson Reuters, Harvey, LexisNexis, and others.

Law firms are increasingly adopting generative AI tools for legal research, drafting filings, and other legal tasks. Many are also leveraging AI for business operations, such as client and case management, aiming to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Google's new platform is designed to be flexible for law firms, allowing them to select among AI models embedded in the system.

Several prominent law firms, including Weil Gotshal, Cleary Gottlieb, Freshfields, and Williams & Connolly, are collaborating with Google on Gemini Enterprise for Legal. Weil Gotshal's co-managing partner, Jonathon Soler, noted that clients are increasingly expecting their lawyers to utilize AI and its efficiencies. Cleary Gottlieb's managing partner, Jeffrey Karpf, expressed that the firm's partnership with Google would enable it to contribute to the development of useful AI tools for law firms embracing AI technology.