Scott Bell is a bankruptcy lawyer who runs his own practice. Like many small firm owners, he was skeptical when AI tools first started making headlines. Useful assistants, maybe — but decision-makers? Not a chance.\n\nThat perspective changed when he began experimenting with AI agents that could act autonomously across multiple tasks.\n\n"With bankruptcy, a lot of the work is forms-based," Bell told The New York Times. "What I do is not super complicated."\n\nHe started small — using AI agents to manage client intake, respond to routine inquiries, and organize financial documentation. The basics. But as he gained confidence in the system's output, he kept adding responsibilities.\n\nThe agents began assessing the urgency of incoming emails, flagging urgent legal issues, and even preparing preliminary case summaries. In some instances, they communicate directly with clients — asking follow-up questions and gathering necessary details without Bell's immediate involvement.\n\nThe experience was both exhilarating and unsettling. Bell described moments where the system operated faster than he could track, completing hours of administrative work in minutes. Work that used to take up his evenings and weekends was now being handled while he slept.\n\nBut here's the thing about AI agents — they don't just do the work. They learn. They get better. And Bell is under no illusions about where this trajectory leads.\n\n"Of course, that's going to put me out of a job, as well, at some point," he said. "AI will, probably sooner than later, be able to do what I do, for a lot cheaper than I can, and quicker."\n\nIt's a remarkably honest assessment from someone who's actively building his own replacement. And yet he keeps doing it — because the alternative is falling behind. If he doesn't use AI to stay competitive, another lawyer will, and he'll be out of business anyway.\n\nBell's dilemma is increasingly common among professionals across industries. The choice isn't between embracing AI or keeping your job safe. It's between using AI to extend your runway — or refusing and being left behind immediately.\n\nFor now, the benefits outweigh the risks. His practice is more efficient than ever. He can take on more clients with less overhead. But every time an AI agent handles a client conversation independently, or drafts a legal document that doesn't need significant revision, Bell is reminded that the clock is ticking — not just on his profession, but on his own role within it.