Post By: SEO.CO
We’re rapidly entering the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Chances are, you’ve used at least one AI tool, even if you didn’t realize it had AI elements at its foundation. AI developers are constantly looking for new opportunities where they can apply their skills and make people’s lives easier – and one of the latest developments in this field is legal AI for lawyers.
But what exactly is legal AI? And is it worth all the hype it’s receiving?
What Is Legal AI?
Legal AI is any AI platform meant to help lawyers accomplish their primary duties. Currently, most legal AI tools use generative AI and a conversational platform to allow lawyers to quickly and efficiently conquer some of their most tedious daily responsibilities.
While each tool is unique, most of these tools can assist with matters like document review, case lookup, legal document drafting, and even proofreading. In a matter of minutes, these tools can do what would take human beings hours.
According to Law.co, the trajectory of legal AI is just beginning. These tools are already quite impressive, but they represent only the first wave of AI development. After a few years, we’ll likely see at least one major leap forward – and after a few decades, even our best experts can’t predict what’s possible.
Strengths and Limitations of Legal AI
There are both strengths and limitations associated with legal AI.
On some level, legal AI is definitely worth the hype, as it can help with:
· Automation. When it comes to repetitive, predictable tasks, AI is infinitely better than human beings. AI can crunch numbers, look up information, and automate repetitive tasks to free up hours of human time every week.
· Research. If you’ve ever used the CTRL + F function to find a specific phrase in a massive document, you know how much time can be saved with high-tech research tools. Legal AI takes that to the next level, cutting hours of time while providing lawyers with the information they need.
· Drafting. Legal writing can be challenging, and it’s always time consuming. Legal AI isn’t perfect at drafting content, but it can generate a competent first draft in a matter of minutes. In addition to saving time, this spares lawyers from some of their least favorite aspects of the job.
· Review. Attention to detail counts in this field, so it never hurts to have an extra round of review and proofreading. Legal AI isn’t capable of catching every error and mistake, but neither are human beings; using both together is currently optimal.
There are, of course, some limitations:
· Applications. Legal AI can’t do everything. It’s not good at interfacing with clients. It can’t make novel arguments. It certainly can’t attend hearings and trials. It’s exceptionally good at what it does, but what it does is somewhat limiting.
· Accuracy. AI engines are generally reliable, but they aren’t perfect. Already, there have been lawyers facing fines and penalties because of inaccurate information they submitted after overly trusting AI tools. It’s possible for even the best legal AI tools to “hallucinate,” generating false information and insisting that it’s true.
· Bias. There’s also a possibility of bias in legal AI, especially when it comes to drafting content. This is an area that demands further attention and exploration, as it’s still a relatively new concept.
· Ethics. Lawyers are required to uphold the highest ethical standards, but legal AI presents some interesting ethical conundrums. Many lawyers are choosing to avoid it on the basis of total risk aversion.
Accordingly, it pays to be strategic and thoughtful about how you use AI in a legal practice.
Can Legal AI Replace Human Lawyers?
The general consensus is that, for all its strengths, legal AI is unlikely to replace human lawyers – at least, not anytime soon. It can automate and expedite many different types of tasks, but it doesn’t have the presence, abstract thinking capabilities, experience, or perspective that human beings have.
For now, the best course for many lawyers is to use a skillful combination of human and AI strengths. This way, you can avoid some of the most problematic risks and downsides of AI, while still capitalizing on its time-saving and efficiency-boosting capabilities. It’s the easiest way to stay competitive while minimizing exposure to risk.
The Present and Future of Legal AI
As it stands, legal AI is an industry game-changer – though it’s not likely to eliminate or totally disrupt the profession in the short term. Competent lawyers are increasingly using legal AI to save time and reserve their energy for more important tasks, and adoption rates are likely to increase further in the future.
As for the distant future, the possibilities for AI are practically unlimited – and we’re all eager to see what comes next.
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