Innovation or Illusion? The Hidden Costs of GenAI Document Review

Generative AI (GenAI) has taken the legal industry by storm, promising faster review speeds, fewer eyes on documents, and, allegedly, lower costs. For many corporations, law firms, and legal service providers, adopting GenAI into their document review process has felt like signing up for a mystery box: intriguing on the outside, but full of hidden costs once opened.

From usage based pricing to unpredictable overages, the “GenAI advantage” often comes with sticker shock. For a solution marketed as faster and more efficient, GenAI has quietly introduced new billing complexities that make even traditional linear review seem straightforward.

Let’s break it down.

Unpredictable Pricing is the New Billable Hour

Most GenAI platforms charge based on usage which can translate to per document, per prompt, per token, per model call, pick your poison. It’s a pricing structure that punishes scale and unpredictability.

In a document review project, where volume estimates are often fluid, clients end up paying more than they budgeted for, and service providers scramble to explain the bill. It’s not just inconvenient; it erodes trust and makes planning impossible.

Legal teams need cost certainty. Period.

Data Security: The Price You Didn’t Budget For

Beyond the financials, GenAI tools raise serious concerns around data handling and privacy. Many solutions rely on third party infrastructure, lack auditability, or don’t meet enterprise grade security standards. In regulated industries or sensitive litigation, that’s a nonstarter.

And yet, teams are forced to compromise either by paying a premium for a secure solution or risk sensitive data exposure. Neither option feels particularly innovative.

Enter Beagle Discovery: Finally, Flat Rate Pricing

At Beagle, we believe GenAI should simplify not complicate document review. That’s why we’ve taken a different approach.

Beagle offers a flat rate pricing model for GenAI powered review. No surprises, no scaling penalties, no hidden fees. Just transparent, predictable pricing that works at any volume.

More importantly, we built our GenAI workflows with security and defensibility at the core. That means your data stays protected, your review stays optimized, and your budget stays intact.

Why This Matters

We’re not here to dazzle you with “the future of legal.” We’re here to make document review faster and more affordable.

GenAI isn’t going anywhere but the way we price and deliver it must evolve. Innovation should never be a gamble, and with Beagle, it isn’t.

Ready for GenAI that plays fair?

Let’s talk. Visit https://discoverbeagle.com/pricing to learn more or schedule a demo.