There's enormous discussion about how artificial intelligence will change the way businesses operate. In legal technology, much of that discussion centres on how AI can help lawyers work more efficiently.
At RedView, we've already incorporated AI into our products, helping law firms capture and interpret information, interpret data and gain greater insights into their business. We're continuing to explore new ways AI can improve how our clients work.
But something equally interesting is happening behind the scenes.
AI is fundamentally changing how software itself is designed, developed and delivered.
We've been incorporating AI tools, including Claude, Codex and GitHub Copilot, into our own product development and engineering processes.
The results have been extraordinary.
From six months to a matter of days
Our original smartphone application took approximately six developer-months to build. Recently, we completely reimagined and rewrote it using AI-assisted development in just 10–15 developer-days.
Of course, we weren't starting from scratch. We already had the underlying architecture, business logic and a clear understanding of what the application needed to do.
Nevertheless, the difference is remarkable.
We're seeing similar results elsewhere.
We've been redesigning significant parts of our user interface at a pace that would previously have been difficult to contemplate.
One example is our Matter Forecasting functionality, which involves complex calculations around fees, work remaining and matter duration. We recently rethought and redesigned the interface in less than four hours, producing a much simpler and more intuitive approach.
We've also introduced usability improvements, such as guided screen tours, with substantially less development effort.
And we're finding that integrations with external practice management systems can be developed in around 20% of the time they previously required.
These aren't theoretical productivity estimates. They're examples from work our team has undertaken.
More than writing code faster
Perhaps the most interesting aspect is that AI isn't simply helping us write code more quickly.
It's helping us develop better software.
Our developers can explore alternative designs, challenge existing approaches and experiment with ideas in a fraction of the time previously required.
In the past, there was only so much time available to investigate different solutions. Inevitably, some possibilities were never explored.
Now we can consider more alternatives and rapidly develop working prototypes.
This is particularly valuable in user interface design, where small improvements can make an enormous difference to the everyday experience of using software.
The importance of what we've already built
Our CTO and Development Manager have emphasised that these results aren't simply because we've started using AI tools.
Over many years, we've invested heavily in our underlying platform, data architecture and engineering practices.
That foundation makes it considerably easier to develop new functionality without rebuilding the infrastructure each time.
Equally important is our team's accumulated understanding of the legal industry and the business problems we're trying to solve.
AI doesn't replace that knowledge. It amplifies it.
The AI tools themselves are available to everyone. What differentiates the results is the architecture, experience and industry knowledge to which they're applied. These are capabilities we've spent years developing.
Importantly, this isn't about giving AI free rein to develop software. We've established, and continue to enhance, a rigorous framework of engineering standards, specialised AI capabilities, security controls and independent reviews to govern how AI is used throughout development.
Our engineers remain responsible for directing the work, making architectural decisions and approving what becomes part of the product. AI accelerates development, but quality, security and accountability remain firmly in human hands.
The objective is to make these productivity improvements consistent and repeatable, without compromising quality.
What does this mean for our clients?
For me, this is where the story becomes particularly interesting.
The benefits aren't simply about reducing our internal development costs.
They're about what we can deliver to the market.
Faster response to client requirements — new functionality and enhancements can move from concept to delivery much more quickly.
Better usability — more opportunity to explore alternative designs and simplify complex processes.
More integrations — reducing the effort required to integrate with practice management systems means we can support more systems and reach more firms.
Faster innovation — ideas that might previously have been deferred because of development costs can become commercially viable.
Collectively, these changes could significantly accelerate the evolution of RedView as a business intelligence and growth platform for law firms.
A fundamental change
Software development has traditionally been constrained by the cost and availability of skilled engineering resources.
AI is beginning to change that equation.
For a company like ours, this is particularly significant. We've always had more product ideas and market opportunities than development resources available to pursue them.
AI is changing that balance, allowing a relatively small, experienced team to undertake work that would previously have required considerably more resources.
It doesn't eliminate the need for experienced developers, product management or sound engineering practices. If anything, their importance becomes greater.
But it can dramatically increase what those people are capable of delivering.
We're still learning how consistently these gains can be achieved across different types of development.
Nevertheless, the early results are compelling.
The opportunity isn't simply to develop software more cheaply. It's to develop better software, deliver more functionality and respond to market opportunities at a speed that was previously impractical.
For RedView, I believe this represents a significant opportunity.
And for our clients, it should mean a platform that evolves faster, becomes easier to use and delivers increasing value.