How Lawyers View AI Legal Software in 2023

Legal AI Technology Adoption a Matter of “When” not “If”

‍

Artificial Intelligence & The Legal Industry

Artificial intelligence has become a popular, if polarizing topic of discussion in modern society. As transformational platforms like ChatGPT rise to prominence and weave their way into our cultural fabric, professionals from all sorts of industries are reacting to the ramifications of AI tools arriving at their doorstep.

Lawyers’ reactions to AI are diverse and changing every day, varying from enthused about its awesome power to apprehensive of its potential for disruption. In a survey of nearly 600 lawyers and legal professionals in corporate law departments throughout Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., 54% of respondents believed that artificial intelligence should be applied to legal work. While many lawyers are optimistic about AI legal tech and appreciate that it will free them up to focus on higher-level tasks, others fear that these tools will ultimately replace and supplant them in the workforce.

Indeed, one study out of Princeton University, UPenn, and NYU concluded that “legal services” was the most exposed industry to new AI technology. Another report from Goldman Sachs had legal work second only to office and administrative support in potential for automation.

Lawyers' Reactions to AI

In an interview with Legaltech News, Bennett Borden, an experienced attorney and chief data scientist at DLA Piper, shared his conviction that lawyers need to “plan for the disruption [of generative artificial intelligence]” and “take advantage of it like when electricity came in and replaced steam.”

Lee Tiedrich, a former partner at Covington & Burling and professor of ethical technology at Duke University School of Law, adds that “legal tech holds tremendous promise, but it must be used responsibly and consistently with professional ethics obligations.” Risk concerns surrounding accuracy, confidentiality, and privacy need to be addressed before AI tools for lawyers can be utilized with complete confidence.

Nevertheless, many experts see a future where AI legal tech is an extraordinary aide to the justice system. “The idea is that once we are able to reduce uncertainty, individuals and institutions will have a real-time sense of their legal rights and obligations,” says Abdi Aidid, co-author of The Legal Singularity: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Law Radically Better with Benjamin Alarie. AI legal tech can make legal services more affordable and accessible for clients while enabling lawyers to pursue better outcomes with the tools at their disposal.

Alexi is a Trustworthy & Effective AI for Lawyers

Trusted by firms of all sizes across North America, Alexi supports legal teams with a specialized AI for lawyers and legal professionals that enables the production of comprehensive, high-quality research memos in just a few easy steps. Combined with the expertise and oversight of our in-house team of research lawyers, Alexi’s legal research services are a reliable entry to the world of AI legal tech.

Here are a couple of notable testimonials from lawyers about how Alexi’s AI platform has accelerated their firms: 

Ginevra Saylor, National Director, Innovation and Knowledge Programs at Gowling WLG:

Alexi is an excellent resource that further augments our lawyers’ ability to provide outstanding legal services and value to our clients. In a fast-paced world, Alexi helps us get our lawyers what they need quickly; with Alexi ‘s work product as a great starting point, our lawyers can turn their attention to the higher value strategic and experience-based aspects of their practice.

Eoin Logan, Partner and co-founder at Carraig Law Group:

It’s a fantastic way to get the information we need to the clients and then focus on the core issues on their file, discussing strategy and how to move forward as opposed to spending hours of leafing through case after case to see whether it’s been overturned or whether it really applies.