If the research plays out in broader practice, that could potentially lead some companies to invest more in junior staff members, while going lighter on more expensive workers who have been around longer. Some companies are already starting to make staffing decisions based on the anticipated impact of A.I. IBM recently said it was slowing or stopping hiring for some back-office roles, such as human-resources functions, that could be replaced by A.I. will raise customer expectations, said Bivek Sharma, the chief technology officer for PwC Global Tax and Legal Services. start-up creating tools for lawyers, to roll out a chat A.I.

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