(qlmbusinessnews.com Mon, 23rd Oct, 2023) London, UK —
AI's Influence in Legal Profession: A Blessing or a Curse?
In the ongoing debate over the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in our lives, the legal profession stands at a crossroads. It's a contentious matter, with proponents touting AI's capacity to automate tasks and swiftly process vast amounts of information, while critics emphasize concerns about biased data, accuracy, and accountability issues. The jury's still out on whether the benefits outweigh the potential pitfalls.
For the legal sector, AI embodies both promise and peril. The 2021 report from the UK's Law Society suggested that AI could lead to a significant reduction in legal jobs, while a recent study by the universities of Pennsylvania, New York, and Princeton claimed that the legal industry is most susceptible to AI's impacts.
One notable cautionary tale involved New York lawyer Steven Schwartz, who employed the AI system ChatGPT for researching legal precedents in a personal injury case against an airline. Shockingly, the AI generated six of the seven cases he used, creating a credibility crisis in the legal community. Nevertheless, Ben Allgrove, Chief Innovation Officer at international law firm Baker McKenzie, takes a different perspective.
Allgrove opines that the issue isn't about technology but about the ethical use of tools. Baker McKenzie has been diligently monitoring AI developments since 2017 and now maintains a dedicated team of lawyers, data scientists, and data engineers to evaluate new AI systems entering the market.
Generative AI, capable of creating text, images, and music based on the data it was trained on, has emerged as a significant player. However, premium versions of these tools come at a considerable cost, doubling technology expenses for law firms. As an alternative, firms can access AI systems developed for broader markets, such as Google's Bard, Meta's Llama, and OpenAI's ChatGPT, and tailor them for legal purposes.
Despite their potential, AI systems are not flawless. They all make errors, and thorough testing is necessary to validate their performance. Firms like Baker McKenzie are actively exploring different AI models to ensure they align with legal requirements.
Robust databases of contracts and human oversight can help maintain accuracy. For instance, the legal software system RobinAI employs an AI co-pilot to expedite contract drafting and analysis. The system uses AI developed by Anthropic, backed by Google. RobinAI has also created its AI models specifically tailored to contract law.
The combination of AI and human lawyers ensures that AI can supplement, rather than replace, legal professionals. This democratises the legal profession by enabling individuals who can't afford legal representation to build their cases with free AI tools like Bard and ChatGPT.
While AI is gaining ground in the legal field, it faces its own legal challenges. DoNotPay, often referred to as the “world's first robot lawyer,” which uses AI to fight parking fines and other citizen cases, has faced lawsuits alleging unauthorized legal practice.
As AI integration in the legal field continues to evolve, the boundaries of its use remain ambiguous. The influence of AI in legal cases, including courtroom submissions, is a growing concern. Some judges in the US now require lawyers to disclose when AI was used in their court filings.
As we navigate this evolving landscape, one thing is clear: AI is not replacing lawyers; it's augmenting our understanding and implementation of legal rights. This can be of paramount importance in a world where AI is increasingly utilized by corporations for hiring, firing, and decision-making, influencing the lives of the average employee.
While we may not have a unanimous verdict on AI's role in the legal profession, the case for its significant impact is well underway, and its implications for the future remain both exciting and contentious.
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