Law practice is undergoing a profound transformation thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). Although there is a long history of technologically-driven changes in the way lawyers practice, it is only recently that systems based on large language models, like GPT-3 and GPT-4, have become widely available and are capable of performing complex writing and research tasks that previously required highly skilled individuals.
AI can be employed to write first drafts relatively fast, citing the pertinent case law, putting forth arguments, and answering arguments put out by opposing lawyers. The final drafts will still require human input, but using AI will speed up the process significantly.
Gains:
Take into account one of the most time-consuming litigation jobs, which is the extraction of structure, meaning, and salient data from a sizable collection of documents produced during discovery. This process will be greatly accelerated by AI, which can do tasks that would typically take weeks in a matter of seconds. Or take into account writing motions to submit to a court.
Efficiency:
In general, AI will greatly improve the efficiency with which lawyers can produce highly customized papers, a task that has traditionally taken up a large amount of lawyer time. Contracts, the several varieties of papers filed with a court during litigation, answers to interrogatories, summaries for clients of recent events in a continuing legal matter, graphic exhibits for use in trial, and pitches intended to attract new clients are a few examples. Additionally, during a trial, AI might be employed to review a trial transcript in real-time and give attorneys advice on which witnesses to cross-examine.
Frameworks:
There are other chances to employ AI to deliver legal services in a more fully automated manner. In order to encourage innovation in this field, legal and legislative frameworks will need to be changed. This will also allow for the identification and mitigation of related risks.
Law firms can get the most out of AI tools. AI is most effective when used to complement human capabilities, and people who learn to use this collaboration well will get the most out of AI tools. This requires developing new skills, including knowing how to choose the right AI tool for the task, knowing how to design the right surveys, and assessing the relevance, quality and accuracy of responses (and then updating surveys as needed). and be able to synthesize the overall results into a coherent, functional picture. Lawyers must also ensure that AI tools are used to properly protect confidentiality.
Functioning:
Even with all the AI out there, lawyers will still be just as important as ever. AI can't sell a case to a judge or jury. It can't account for all the strategic decisions that are made every day in every litigation case. It can't replace the human touch in client relationships. And it can't lead a team of lawyers to do their best work. Basically, it's a mistake to try to use the incredible advances in AI to downplay the role of the human factor in legal practice. But it's also a mistake to ignore the role that AI will play in changing the landscape for legal professionals and clients alike.
AI is fundamentally the science of instructing machines to "learn, reason, perceive, infer, communicate, and make decisions like humans do.". When a machine (a computer) starts to make decisions without a lot of programming, this is referred to as machine learning. Algorithms for machine learning (i.e., "machine learning") replace the need for manual rule writing by instructing computers how to interpret sets of data. e. The computer can choose the rules on its own with the aid of instructions (e.g., sets of instructions for solving specific problems). Deep learning, which is the next step beyond machine learning, is even more ambitious. Deep learning is used to carry out more abstract tasks, like image recognition, by using more sophisticated algorithms.
To prevent the answers from being overly inclusive, the computer also filters out information as part of the learning process. The lawyer cannot use a computer that returns 10,000 results, for instance. In order to narrow the search results to a manageable number, the computer must learn what is pertinent to the user and make suggestions that can be used. A human teacher and, in the case of deep learning, through propagation—which still requires a human component at first—are the only options since machines do not naturally have the ability to limit the answers.
Issues:
The legal sector can benefit greatly from AI, as was already mentioned, but there are also a number of issues that must be resolved. Data privacy and security are two of these issues. AI solutions need a lot of data to work effectively, which can raise questions about data privacy and security. To reduce the risk of data breaches, legal organizations must make sure they have strong data protection measures in place.
Aiming to avoid unintended consequences like bias or discrimination, AI-powered solutions must be developed and implemented ethically. Organizations engaged in the practice of law must make sure that they have the right governance structures in place to monitor and address ethical issues.
Conclusion:
Through the automation of repetitive tasks, the improvement of legal research, and the provision of predictive analytics, artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the legal sector. Even though implementing AI has its difficulties, there are many legal departments in corporations already benefiting from its advantages. Legal organizations can use AI to enhance their productivity, accuracy, and standard of work by carefully weighing the costs and advantages of its implementation and addressing ethical and data privacy concerns. Those who embrace AI will be well-positioned for success as AI technology develops further and the legal sector undoubtedly continues to transform and innovate.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
