Deepfakes. AI-manipulated markets. Viral misinformation.
For most lawyers, these sound like compliance problems waiting to happen. But for those looking to shape their careers, they’re something else: an opening.
Futurist Peter Diamandis puts it bluntly: “We need clear ethics, moral guidelines, and new laws to help protect truth and democracy. The technology to verify authenticity already exists: cryptographic provenance, blockchain certification, digital watermarking. The opportunity is not just to prevent chaos but to create a new layer of the internet: an internet of trust.”
That “internet of trust” won’t build itself. Tech giants—Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta—are racing ahead. Regulators are circling. The business stakes are massive. And, as Diamandis warns, “By the time deepfakes seriously damage an election or crash a market, it may be too late… The infrastructure for truth verification needs to be built before the crisis, not during it.”
What This Means for Lawyers (5–10 Years In)
This moment isn’t just about risk—it’s about relevance. Just as compliance and data privacy evolved from niche concerns into defining specialties of the modern legal department, trust and authenticity will be the next frontier. What began as an ethical gray zone is fast becoming a technical and strategic legal competency, one that forward-looking lawyers can claim early.The lawyers who step up now will define new practice areas and create career trajectories that didn’t exist five years ago.
- In-house: Be the ethics translator who helps your company innovate responsibly while avoiding reputational landmines.
- Law firm: Develop expertise advising clients on digital authenticity, AI accountability, and regulatory frameworks before they become table stakes.
- Both: Position yourself where law, policy, and technology converge—the epicenter where boards and CEOs seek guidance.
How to Seize It
- Learn enough tech to speak blockchain, AI, and verification fluently.
- Track emerging regulation—don’t wait for final rules to hit.
- Write, publish, and speak. Visibility today creates opportunity tomorrow.
Peter Diamandis calls the business opportunity “huge” and advises that “time is of the essence.” The same is true for your career.
Lawyers who act now won’t just mitigate risk. They’ll build the frameworks that protect democracy, markets, and truth itself and, in the process, carve out leadership roles in the next evolution of the legal profession.
May your career continue to flourish.
