In Monday’s Legal Innovation Club Session, Moderator Julia Klingberg introduced Tathagata Baya, Founder of Settle, and explored how vertical AI is reshaping global immigration and compliance, moving beyond visa automation to address deeper structural inefficiencies in cross-border talent mobility
Baya traced his journey from finance to startup operator and ultimately founder, driven by a desire to build impactful technology. His move from India to the United States exposed him firsthand to the complexities and frustrations of immigration systems, particularly amid shifting policies and heightened scrutiny. This personal experience became the catalyst for founding Settle, an AI platform focused on compliance, global mobility, and immigration.
A central theme was the distinction between visas and compliance. While much of the current legal tech ecosystem focuses on visa processing, Baya argued that the real challenge lies in ongoing compliance. Immigration is not a one-off transaction but a continuous process involving dozens of workflows, multiple government agencies, and evolving regulatory requirements. This creates a persistent operational burden for companies and significant risk exposure if mismanaged.
Baya’s extensive market research, over 100 conversations across five continents, revealed a fragmented landscape. Despite numerous AI startups, most solutions address only surface-level inefficiencies. Compliance, by contrast, remains largely underserved. Even leading immigration law firms struggle to manage compliance effectively, often overlooking critical requirements that can result in severe financial and legal consequences.
Another key insight was the internal tension within the legal profession. Many immigration lawyers spend substantial time on repetitive, low-value tasks such as responding to routine client queries and managing manual data entry. These inefficiencies not only reduce job satisfaction but also introduce risk. Baya positioned AI as a means to eliminate such “grunt work,” enabling lawyers to focus on higher-value advisory roles.
The discussion then broadened to the future of work. Baya offered a provocative long-term view: more than 50% of white-collar jobs may disappear within a decade. However, he distinguished between “jobs” (structured, time-for-money roles) and “work” (the broader concept of productive human activity). While traditional jobs may decline, work itself will persist in new forms.
This shift is already visible in hiring trends. Companies are increasingly achieving growth without proportional increases in headcount, instead reallocating budgets towards AI tools. In some cases, technology spend is directly replacing human resource budgets, particularly in sectors like legal services where automation can absorb repetitive tasks.
Baya positioned compliance as a foundational layer for the future of work. As organisations evolve to include humans, AI agents, and automated systems working together, robust compliance frameworks will be essential. Settle’s long-term vision is to become this compliance infrastructure, not just for immigration, but for a broader regulatory ecosystem governing future work environments.
The session also addressed external constraints, particularly energy consumption and the sustainability of AI. Audience contributions highlighted concerns about rising energy costs and the feasibility of scaling AI systems. While acknowledging these challenges, Baya remained optimistic, pointing to potential breakthroughs in energy efficiency and alternative energy sources, as well as ongoing improvements in AI architecture.
In closing, the discussion underscored a fundamental shift: compliance is no longer a back-office function but a strategic priority. As global mobility, regulation, and AI converge, organisations that invest in intelligent compliance systems such as Settle will be better positioned to navigate uncertainty and unlock global talent.
