Introduction

I recently stumbled upon a thought-provoking piece by Daniel Farrar, who quite accurately touched upon the seismic shifts artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing to the legal landscape. The narrative around AI and law has often been chock-full of jargon and grandiose promises: streamlining workflow, enhancing efficiency—the works. Yet, in our industry’s mad dash to implement AI, we are overlooking one fundamental ingredient: the human component, more specifically, the training of individual attorneys.

Let us not kid ourselves; the figures are loud and clear. A 2019 Thomson Reuters survey revealed that 64% of law firms are already using AI for tasks like legal research. Fast forward to 2023, and a recent report shows that 82% of my fellow attorneys acknowledge the potential application of generative AI, like ChatGPT, in our work. Over half of them think it is high time we actually started using it.

The Double-Edged Sword of AI

While the allure of integrating AI into our practices can be tantalizing, let us pump the brakes for a moment. History has been a harsh teacher; we know that with technological advancement comes the inescapable responsibility of using it wisely. How many of us remember the first time we tried to sort a column in Excel, only to mess up the entire spreadsheet? AI tools in law are no different. If we are not cautious, we risk costly errors, ethical gray areas, and the erosion of the precious trust our clients place in us.

AI Is not the Star of the Show, You Are

What we need to understand is that AI is not designed to take over our jobs. Trust me, AI cannot plead before a judge or wrestle with the moral complexities of a case as we can. What AI can do is act as a trusty sidekick, augmenting our capabilities. Think of it as your smart legal assistant who never sleeps. But for this relationship to work, we need a mindset shift. Instead of viewing AI as a threatening replacement, we should see it as a powerful tool to amplify our strengths.

Picking Your AI Partner Wisely

And let us not just leap onto the AI bandwagon without looking at where we are going. As decision-makers in our firms, we should be evaluating AI solutions that genuinely solve the specific issues we face. Got a backlog of research? There’s AI for that. Need help drafting contracts more efficiently? Yep, there’s AI for that too. Consulting with our teams in this decision-making process can make a world of difference, ensuring we are all on board with the tech that is coming into our professional lives.

Individual Training: The Lighthouse in the AI Fog

Adopting the right technology is just half the battle won. What pulls everything together is rigorous post-implementation training. Trust me, AI is not something you can just ‘wing.’ Specialized training can equip us to manipulate these tools to our advantage. For instance, some AI tools suggest wording for contractual clauses; imagine the time saved in editing versus writing an entire clause from scratch. It is through understanding how to best leverage these tools that we maximize efficiency, and, yes, get the best return on our investments.

In Summary

So, here is my two cents. As much as AI has the potential to be a significant change, it is not a silver bullet. We, the lawyers, are the conductors of this orchestra, and AI is merely an instrument. A well-tuned one for sure, but it cannot play the music without us. Let us focus less on the hype and more on rolling up our sleeves to learn this new skill like we did with every legal precedent and article of the law. That is what Ethical AI Law Institute is here for, to help practitioners affordably learn the new skills they need.

Because, in the end, a well-prepared, technologically adept attorney is not just an asset to a law firm, but a cornerstone in maintaining the integrity of our profession. And who knows, with AI as our ally, we might just revolutionize not just how much we do, but how well we do it.

Original Article: Farrar, Daniel. “To Future-Proof Their Firms, Attorneys Must Embrace AI.” Forbes, Jul 13, 2023, 09:00 am EDT https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/07/13/to-future-proof-their-firms-attorneys-must-embrace-ai/?sh=59a51136245b