Adoption of artificial intelligence across enterprise environments continues to accelerate, and legal and financial firms are among the fastest-moving sectors. New industry research indicates that organizations are rapidly shifting toward private large language models (LLMs) as concerns over data security, governance, and regulatory compliance reshape enterprise AI strategy.
Recent industry data from McKinsey shows that more than 70% of organizations have now adopted AI in at least one business function, while roughly half of enterprises are actively using generative AI tools in their workflows. Professional services and financial firms rank among the sectors with the highest adoption rates, and surveys of large law firms indicate that generative AI is already being used in document review, research, and drafting tasks across the industry.
At the same time, security and governance risks associated with public AI tools are becoming more apparent. Analysts warn that a significant percentage of enterprises could face AI-related data exposure incidents in the coming years, and fewer than half of organizations currently have comprehensive AI governance frameworks in place. These pressures are driving increased investment in self-hosted, private, and controlled LLM environments that allow companies to retain full control over sensitive data.
The Shift Toward Owned AI Infrastructure
Private LLM deployments allow organizations to integrate AI directly into internal systems while maintaining strict data-handling policies. This is particularly critical in industries such as law and finance, where client confidentiality, regulatory compliance, and auditability are essential.
“Enterprises are quickly realizing that public AI tools are not designed for sensitive operational workflows,” said Timothy Carter, Chief Revenue Officer. “Legal and financial firms, in particular, need systems that can process proprietary data without exposing it to third-party environments. That’s why we’re seeing strong demand for private LLM deployments that operate entirely within a company’s controlled infrastructure.”
Market forecasts reflect this shift. Industry analysts project that spending on enterprise generative-AI solutions is rising rapidly year over year, with enterprise LLM markets expected to grow dramatically over the next decade as organizations move from experimentation to production-grade deployments.
Why Legal and Financial Firms Are Leading Adoption
Several factors are accelerating adoption in these sectors:
- Large volumes of structured and unstructured documents suitable for AI analysis
- High labor costs that create strong ROI from automation
- Strict regulatory and confidentiality requirements
- Increasing client expectations for faster turnaround and deeper insights
Private LLMs are now being used for applications such as:
- Contract analysis and document review
- Due diligence and research automation
- Financial modeling assistance
- Knowledge-base search across internal records
- Workflow automation and reporting
“Private LLMs are moving from experimental technology to core infrastructure,” said Samuel Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer. “Organizations are no longer asking whether to use AI—they’re deciding how to deploy it safely. The shift toward private models is a natural evolution as companies integrate AI deeper into daily operations.”
From Pilots to Production
While many organizations began their AI initiatives with public tools, the next phase of adoption is increasingly focused on security, scalability, and long-term integration. Enterprises are investing in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), on-premise or private-cloud deployments, and customized models trained on proprietary datasets.
This transition mirrors earlier shifts in enterprise software, where companies moved from externally hosted tools to more controlled and integrated systems as usage expanded and risks became clearer.
As private LLM infrastructure becomes more accessible and cost-effective, adoption is expected to accelerate further across industries that manage sensitive data.
About LLM.co
LLM.co provides consulting, infrastructure design, and deployment services for private large language models. Founded by software development company, DEV, the AI software company helps organizations design secure AI environments, integrate models with internal data sources, and deploy scalable AI systems tailored to industry-specific requirements.
LLM.co works with companies in legal, financial, healthcare, and enterprise technology sectors to implement AI solutions that prioritize security, compliance, and performance.