Innovators, an interview series, celebrates the boldest thinkers, disruptors and trailblazers shaping the future. We explore the journeys, challenges, and vision of the leaders redefining how we create and consume laws, standards, and guidance. These are the individuals and technologies driving progress.
In this interview, Nicole Stone, JD and Director, Product Management at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory US, shares her unique career journey, from her early days waitressing to her current role at Wolters Kluwer. Nicole explains how her love for creating great customer experiences ultimately led her to an alternative legal career and the opportunity to unlock new value from legal and regulatory content. She discusses the role of data in today’s rapidly evolving landscape and why it’s critical to stay ahead of the value that new Gen AI models bring to the market.
1. Nicole, welcome to Innovators. Tell us a bit about your background. What was your first job? What was your first experience of the working world?
2. What led you to the world of legal and regulatory content and to drive innovation in this area?
I came to Wolters Kluwer seeking the opportunity for an “alternative legal career”. I have a law degree, and I realized very early on that I did not want to practice—it’s not where I found joy. My first role was creating Health Law content as a writer, but I quickly found myself being drawn towards the product development process.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve embraced the concept of taking content that has been around for decades and breathing new life into it via the creation of valuable new workflows. I love the idea of forging a legacy marked by the development of innovative new products that customers will continue to find value in for the next 10+ years.
3. What do you consider the biggest challenges in the industry?
4. What do you consider the greatest opportunities?
5. How has technology evolved throughout your career?
When I started in the industry, print was at the forefront. Publishing weekly in print was considered innovative. Businesses then took those print assets and brought them online. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the transition towards a native digital experience.
However, it was really the introduction of Gen AI that changed everything.
Businesses can now launch innovative products and features much faster than before, leapfrogging their own product roadmaps. Solutions that were previously impossible or costly to develop just three years ago are now achievable within a short period. It’s an exhilarating time to be working in regulatory compliance.
6. What is on your radar for 2025? What do you consider the biggest talking points?
This year is about seizing the moment. Content is king right now. Whether it’s the documents themselves, the enrichments you layer on top, or the speed to publish, it’s important for businesses capitalize on each aspect of content. Alongside content, rapid experimentation around Gen AI is critical for every business. Gen AI capabilities are continuing to evolve, so it’s crucial to stay ahead of the value new models bring to the market.
7. What role do you think AI agents will play in the future?
Within three years, legal research and regulatory compliance workflows will be driven solely by multi-agent task-based solutions. While I do not think AI will replace attorneys or researchers, it will be able to assist across key workflows with a high degree of competency. The legal industry will benefit significantly.
8. What do you think of the timelines for when we'll start to see AI agents? Do we need to wait for the fog to clear?
The fog has lifted. Agents are the heart of legal tech today, with several large law firms even beginning to develop their own. Many legal providers in the market either have agents in production or are currently building them. The future is quite literally now!
9. If you could travel back in time and speak with your younger self, what advice would you give?
Thank you, Nicole, for participating in this interview. Before we wrap up, do you have any final comments?
My advice to anyone who may be apprehensive about Gen AI is to embrace it as an assistant that can streamline the execution of time-intensive tasks. Use it every single day, even if it’s to ask about a vacation you want to take or to rewrite a paragraph of text in an email. Converse with AI as though you are talking to someone new on the job. Provide AI with context and examples, and don’t be afraid to correct it. AI large-language models are a brain that needs to learn, and you have the human brain to help it help you.
