Lawyers have traditionally approached innovation cautiously, but the emergence of Generative AI (GenAI) is set to revolutionise the legal industry. GenAI can handle vast data processing, draft legal documents, and predict case outcomes, significantly impacting law firms and in-house legal teams.
Opinions on GenAI vary; some believe it could automate a substantial portion of lawyers’ tasks, while sceptics view it as another fleeting trend. The consensus suggests that GenAI will enhance, rather than replace, the work of lawyers, similar to how eBikes assist riders.
The legal GenAI landscape features three categories of tools:
1. General productivity solutions (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT) improve productivity without legal specialisation.
2. Use-case-specific LegalAI solutions focus on particular tasks, like contract review and integrating GenAI into established products.
3. Multi-purpose LegalAI solutions are explicitly trained on legal materials to cover various use cases (e.g., Lexis+ AI, Thomson Reuters’ CoCounsel).
To evaluate GenAI solutions, an AI Pyramid Framework was developed consisting of three layers:
1. Universal AI: General productivity tools for daily workflows (e.g., ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot). Caution is advised regarding confidentiality.
2. Focused AI: Tools designed for specific legal tasks, offering targeted functionality.
This framework helps legal professionals navigate the complex GenAI ecosystem and make informed adoption decisions.
Source: Law Society Journal
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