The way we communicate, do business and even complete simple tasks is changing – all thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). And while AI tools have existed for some time, interest in this new technology recently soared when Open AI released its artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT. ChatGPT captured the public’s imagination overnight. Its ability to generate copy at speed, complete research tasks and even participate in humanlike conversations opens up multiple operational possibilities for businesses and organisations across the globe. Law firms are no exception. A report released by Thomson Reuters in April 2023 surveyed 440 lawyers across the UK, US and Canada about their attitudes and concerns on ChatGPT and generative AI in law firms. The survey found that 82% of respondents believe ChatGPT and generative AI can be “readily applied to legal work.” The bigger question, of course, is an ethical one. Should law firms and their employees use ChatGPT and generative AI for legal work? “Yes”, replied 51% of the survey’s respondents. Many firms are cautious about the growing use of ChatGPT. They understand that the tool may streamline operational processes, but they are worried about how they can leverage the benefits of AI in a way that is secure, upholds confidentiality and privacy requirements and, crucially, remains ethical. Can ChatGPT be used by law firms to aid productivity? What are the relevant risks? To all partners and fee earners thinking about how to use ChatGPT or other AI tools at their firm, here are the key considerations: Accuracy, Bias, and Ethical Concerns AI has the potential to assist lawyers with a range of tasks. Automating clerical work, legal research and even drafting briefs could significantly improve a firm’s productivity and efficiency. However, any such use of AI comes with risks. And as sophisticated as ChatGPT may be, it is not always accurate. For starters, AI tools are known to fabricate information. These ‘hallucinations’ are concerning because they are unknown. A user has no way to know when ChatGPT provides completely false information, because that content isn’t flagged as wrong, or incorrect, or missing crucial context. The only way a user can guarantee the accuracy of any 36 LAWYER MONTHLY MAY 2023 Special Feature ChatGPT and similar artificial intelligence projects took the world by storm in 2022, and their use by law firms may not be long in coming. However, with the benefits AI stands to bring to the profession come equally pressing drawbacks. Steve Whiter, director at Appurity offers his advice to potential early adopters of this technology on what challenges they should be aware of and what risks they will be taking. ChatGPT: Weighing AI’s Risks and Rewards for Law Firms
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