Thomson Reuters' 2026 Future of Professionals report finds a widening gap between AI ambition and execution in the legal, tax, audit, and risk professions, one now carrying real financial consequences in lost clients and departing talent.
Thomson Reuters has released its 2026 Future of Professionals report, warning of the financial cost of failing to effectively implement AI across the legal, tax, audit, and risk professions. The findings, based on a global survey of 1,800 professionals, reveal a widening gap between AI ambition and reality, one now carrying material consequences, with up to $143 billion in client revenue at risk in the US alone, and talent considering leaving.
“We’re seeing a clear divide emerge,” said Steve Hasker, President and CEO of Thomson Reuters. “Firms that are operationalizing AI are pulling ahead. Those that aren’t are starting to take on real risk, across talent, clients, and financial performance. Closing that execution gap is now a business imperative for professional firms,” he added.
Adoption is not the issue. 74% of professionals are already using AI tools every week, but organizations are struggling to translate that usage into real value. In fact, 91% of professionals believe their organizations are falling short of what AI can deliver, leading to unintended consequences, including a third of lawyers, accountants, and compliance professionals saying they turn to unsanctioned AI tools, creating invisible, unmanaged risk.
Even where an AI strategy exists, execution is lagging: 35% say ambitions are not reflected in their day-to-day work, and nearly one in five say their organization still lacks a clear strategy. This gap is beginning to affect talent, with one in four professionals saying they would consider leaving within two years if they do not see the value they expect. Clients are reaching the same conclusion: 78% now see AI-enabled quality improvements as essential, yet just 6% believe most providers are delivering. As a result, nearly a third are preparing to reassess those provider relationships within the next 12 months.
These pressures are showing up across three interconnected areas. Shadow AI is creating risk exposure; a third of lawyers, accountants, and compliance professionals are using AI their organization has not approved, rising to 41% among those who say their organization is moving too slowly. While 96% say their AI must safeguard confidential data, 94% require verified authoritative content, and 90% need outputs they can explain and defend, 41% lack access to professional-grade tools that meet these standards.
Talent is leaving. About 24% of professionals experiencing a gap between AI’s capability and what their organization delivers are considering leaving within two years, and 13% within 12 months. Yet almost half of senior leaders believe meaningful talent pressure is still at least three years away. 62% say access to professional-grade AI would be a factor in accepting a new role; among those already using it, nearly one in three would turn a role down without it.
And clients are not waiting. The report reveals that 78% of corporate clients now consider AI-enabled quality improvements very important or essential, yet just 6% say most of their providers deliver it. Within 12 months, 32% will be reconsidering provider relationships, with a third putting more than $1 million in annual work at risk, amounting to a combined approximately $143 billion in US legal and accounting revenue under active reconsideration.
“Not all AI is created equal. In professions where there is real liability, the standard has to be much higher,” said Hasker. “When outputs shape legal judgments, regulatory filings, or client advice, ‘almost right’ isn’t good enough. That’s why we build what we call Fiduciary-Grade AI, technology professionals can verify, trust, and ultimately stand behind,” he added
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