AI, Progressive Technology And Law
1: What is AI and progressive technology?
In the last few years, the introduction and implementation of AI (artificial intelligence) and technology has been unprecedented in all sectors. For the legal sector, there have been many claims that AI will rival the work carried out by lawyers, yet this article will explain that whilst AI and technology can aid legal professionals, by no means will AI make lawyers redundant.
AI can certainly be utilised by the legal profession to help manage their busy schedules and to ensure that they can do their best work on tasks which genuinely contribute to cases and utilise their legal knowledge.
There are good examples of assistive technology used by solicitors, legal executives and the legal industry as a whole. Such technology can assist in creating a more accurate picture for the lawyer in order to enable them to spend more time providing the client with legal advice and guidance.
In divorce cases, this type of technology can be useful as it can generate an editable table of assets and liabilities of the client from the information given. Also, ChatGPT, one of the most well-known conversational AI tools, can be an informative platform for clients to use prior to any initial meeting with a solicitor yet, as this article will discuss, it is far from a worthy adversary to the legal work done by lawyers.
2: Will AI replace lawyers?
In the legal profession, AI is merely a supplementary tool which can quickly find basic information and assist with organisation. When thinking of progressive technology, email is certainly not the first thing which enters one’s mind, however, it has been one of the most influential technologies for the legal profession, especially post-lockdown. Emails have facilitated quick and efficient communication between solicitors, courts and especially their clients. Similarly, communication platforms like Teams and Zoom reinforce the easily contactable and accessible nature that these technologies allow.
The initial intention of AI and progressive technology was clearly to reduce the workload of lawyers, ensure they are more efficient and allow them to focus their time on legal matters rather than time-consuming administration. While email and remote communication platforms have greatly increased connectivity digitally, the personal touch is often lost as a result.
ChatGPT in practise
Divorce and family law
ChatGPT was able to provide an accurate step-by-step guide as to the process for divorce in the UK which would be useful for a layperson in the first instance. However, ChatGPT did not include any information about a financial settlement and the significance this can have in divorce proceedings.
Wills and probate
ChatGPT was able to give a broadly accurate template of a basic will but was unable to decipher the information provided or insert it into the will. ChatGPT can provide clients with a very basic understanding of the elements which should be included in a will but it is limited to this.
Tenancy disputes
ChatGPT was able to provide an accurate but basic flowchart when asked how to evict a tenant who had not paid rent in 4 months. However, as with previous questions, more complex information meant the law was significantly less accurate and the reply was broadly unhelpful.
This case study reinforces the principle that AI is not a threat to the legal work of lawyers, although can fulfil a basic informative role in the first instance.
AI tools and progressive technology have a future in improving the communication of important information between clients and solicitors, but it will be a long time, if ever, before AI technologies can rival the legal work of lawyers.
ChatGTP results based on unpaid version. Results based on ‘ChatGPT Plus’ may differ.
