In recent research, it has been found that corporate clients are demanding that law firms use AI in a bid to lower costs.
The incorporation of AI into the legal sector
Research by Thomson Reuters found that:
59% of corporate clients that responded said they wanted their law firms to use AI.
8% of clients even specified in their tender documents that the chosen firm must use AI.
In the past year the number of law departments using AI has jumped from just 14% to now over 26%.
Should lawyers be concerned?
The considerations…
In the short-term AI is not going to replace lawyers. Rather than shy away from the technology, lawyers should embrace it as a tool. Benefits could include increased efficiency in research and document review.
At present experiences and qualified lawyers are still essential for verifying the output of any AI tool.
AI outputs are based on data which could include historical biases that would not be identified by AI. Although AI has advanced potential for analysing vast amounts of data, it cannot apply judgement, interpretation or logic. The way that law is applied in different situations can depend upon context, intent and broader legal principles – this is currently an analysis beyond the scope of AI.
The use of AI also comes with increased data privacy concerns which corporate clients should consider carefully before insisting upon AI use in return for lower legal costs. By its nature, the legal sector handles very personal, sensitive and confidential data. AI tools, particularly those provided by third parties could be at increased risk of data breaches, unauthorised access and cyber attacks. The boundary between data sharing with AI and adherence to current GDPR is a blurred area. Lawyers would have to be transparent with clients as to when and how AI is being used. Ultimately the lawyer would still be held responsible, law firms would need to perform relevant due diligence on services used, and AI would not absolve lawyers of their professional responsibility. There is of course the very real concern that AI would enable unauthorised practice by unqualified persons.
For more of this topic read this informative article by LawGazette.co.uk
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