Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more prominent in the business world and changing how organisations operate. The legal sector is no exception, with AI being implemented by firms for a number of reasons. Change can often be challenging and can lead to misgivings. It’s natural to ask the question: Will robots replace lawyers? We explore how legal tech and AI are currently used and how the future of the sector is looking.
Written by Grant Longstaff. Published 18 December 2024.
The current situation of AI in Law
AI is already present in the legal sector and is becoming increasingly prevalent. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) reported “Three quarters of the largest solicitors’ firms were using AI” at the end of 2022, which was almost twice the amount reported three years previous. It also found at least 60% of large firms and a third of medium sized firms were exploring the potential of AI.
Currently, AI is used in a variety of ways. Some firms may use an AI powered chatbot on their website or to automate call handling as a first point of contact for clients. However, much of AIs current use is focused on supporting the work of legal professionals by automating repetitive tasks, streamlining processes by generating contracts, managing firm finances and supporting legal research.
AI is already used to support legal research and there are already a number of successful tools used in the sector which use machine learning and natural language processing (NLP). Because these tools can scan thousands upon thousands of legal documents they can help significantly reduce research time and produce more accurate results. They can also generate trends in data, evaluate legal strategies and even predict the outcome of cases.
Advantages of using AI powered legal research tools
There’s no denying legal research can be time consuming. AI tools can perform these tasks in a fraction of the time, which allows legal professionals to focus on their clients and legal strategies. Because the tools are able to review so much information they may produce more results and discover material which could be missed. It can also identify potential inconsistencies in documents and ensure documentation is legally accurate and compliant.
AI can also help save money and improve accessibility to databases, which could be particularly beneficial for smaller firms.
Disadvantages of AI powered legal research tools
Despite the many advantages, AI powered legal research tools aren’t perfect. Legal work still requires the skills of a legal professional. Lawyers will need to contextualise the research, identify the nuances and adapt the provided results for their current cases. It’s also important to remember that AI can only work with the data it has been provided with. If a database is incomplete for example, then the results could lead to inaccuracies and biases.
There are ethical questions around confidentiality and how AI is used and regulated by the legal profession. There are also concerns lawyers could become over reliant on AI. For example, two lawyers in the USA were fined for submitting fake court citations generated by ChatGPT. This alone highlights that, whilst AI powered research can support legal practice, the skills and knowledge of a human lawyer are still a necessity.
Finally, consider the other side of the coin. If AI can support the legal world, how is it being used by criminals? We have already experienced ‘deepfakes’ and voice imitation. Legal professionals need to consider how criminals can use AI to manipulate and deceive in the future.
Will robots replace lawyers?
There are benefits to AI in legal practice – particularly when used to improve workflow and automate the painstaking, repetitive tasks lawyers might have to undertake. That said, it’s unlikely robots will replace lawyers. Practicing law requires human intelligence and emotion, after all, your clients are human too. AI can’t replace your critical thinking, legal advocacy skills, or the relationship you can build with your clients.
Is AI the future of law?
The SRA concluded their report by stating, “the legal market’s use of AI is growing rapidly, and this is likely to continue. As systems become ever more available, firms that could not previously have used these tools will be able to do so. Indeed, it is likely that these systems will become a normal part of everyday life, automating routine tasks.”
AI isn’t there to replace legal professionals but rather change how they work. Ultimately, AI is a tool to be used and should help lawyers spend more time on the human aspects of the role, such as client relationships and advocacy.
There could also be the opportunity to enhance your career prospects. By embracing legal technology and AI and expanding your knowledge of its use in the legal sector you could become an invaluable asset to legal firms looking to embrace the future of law.
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