Adobe is rolling out new AI-powered features for Acrobat to help you better understand complex legal documents. The feature, released today as part of the Acrobat AI Assistant add-on (requires $4.99 monthly subscription), automatically detects when a PDF is a contract and provides plain-language summaries of key terms and conditions.
Key Takeaways:
- Acrobat AI Assistant can detect contracts, summarize key points, and suggest questions.
- Users can track changes across up to 10 contract versions to spot inconsistencies.
- The AI provides clickable citations to source material for accuracy.
- The feature is available as a $4.99 per month add-on for Acrobat users.
Contracts are a necessary but often frustrating part of daily life. Many people sign agreements without fully understanding them, leading to unexpected terms or financial pitfalls. Adobe cites a survey showing that 70% of consumers admit to signing contracts without knowing all the details.
The new contract intelligence feature is designed to simplify this process. Once a user uploads a PDF or scanned document, Acrobat AI Assistant detects whether it is a contract, extracts key clauses, and generates a simplified summary. Users can also ask the AI to clarify specific terms or suggest questions they should ask before signing.
A major addition is the ability to compare multiple contract versions, a feature useful for legal teams, business professionals, and consumers alike. The AI can highlight differences between up to 10 documents, helping users quickly catch modifications that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Despite these benefits, AI-driven contract analysis raises concerns. Users may wonder how accurate the AI’s interpretations are and whether their documents are being used for AI training. Adobe says it does not use customer data for training its models and that Acrobat AI Assistant follows strict data security protocols.
The update is now available worldwide for desktop, web, and mobile users, though it currently only supports English. With AI increasingly integrated into legal and business workflows, tools like Acrobat’s AI Assistant could become essential for navigating complex agreements with greater confidence.
However, as with any of today's AI tools, you should think of the product as an assistant rather than a replacement for thorough human review, particularly for high-stakes agreements. The tool's primary value lies in its ability to highlight key terms and changes, making the contract review process more efficient rather than automated.