Will AI help mundane legal tasks go bye-bye? ChatGPT and its future effect on the legal industry

The recent rise of Artificial Intelligence has disrupted nearly every industry and the legal profession is no exception. A recent form of Artificial Intelligence to be released has taken the world by storm. ‘CHATGPT’ has gathered increasing attention with many flocking to the AI system to test out its effectiveness for both personal and work projects. The AI system has been developed and trained using vast amounts of data and cross-checked with analysts to help the AI in generating more human-like and precise responses.

How has the Legal Profession responded to the use of AI language models like ChatGPT?

Like many industries, the legal profession has shown mixed responses toward ChatGPT. There are those who see AI technology as an invaluable tool to improve their workflow, increasing efficiency and reducing the time to perform tasks.

On the other hand, some have concerns about the use of such technology, viewing it as a threat to traditional legal practices, questioning the reliability and the ethical considerations behind using AI for legal research and writing.

There have been instances of lawyers and judges using the new AI. One example involved a judge in Colombia who used ChatGPT during a court case between a health insurance company and an autistic child. The judge posed legal questions to the AI, using its answers in their final ruling. These were fact checked and examined before being used to make his decision however, many still question the use of AI in this instance.

Another occurrence of ChatGPT being used for legal matters arose when a lawyer posted a TikTok explaining how he had asked ChatGPT to create a will for a Texas couple. The AI system made a mistake on the first try, failing to include two witnesses which is required by Texan law. He proceeded to ask the chatbot to fix this mistake. On the second try, the attorney admits that the will was not far off and goes on to say ‘Attorneys will be obsolete with this’ 

As this technology continues to develop, we may see more lawyers and firms turning to the system. According to an analysis done by the Law firm Mckinsey Global, 23% of lawyer's repetitive work could be replaced by AI in the future leading to many being concerned about the possible use of AI replacing people's jobs for a more cost-effective option.

Potential Ethical and Legal implications of relying on AI models like ChatGPT

The rise of Artificial Intelligence has led to many questioning the ethical and legal implications of using the technology.

Data Privacy and Protection - Data Protection and Privacy is one of the most important legal issues surrounding AI technology. These AI technologies rely on the collection of large amounts of data to learn and make predictions, and as more data is collected there is an increased risk of data breaches. These could be especially detrimental to the legal industry if sensitive information is leaked which could greatly harm clients or law firms themselves.

AI Bias and Discrimination - AI systems can potentially be biased depending on the data sources they are using and can subsequently result in discrimination. If lawyers are to use this technology to assist their work, it is vital to consider the implication if the information provided was in anyway harmful or biased.

Malicious activity - AI models can be used for malicious intent such as hacking, fishing, cyber-attacks, and more. Like any technology, it is vital to have safety measures in place.

Reliability - AI models are only as reliable as the data they have collected. Currently, ChatGPT is using data up to 2021 and therefore will often not provide accurate responses in 2023. One instance may be the enactment of a new legislation after the AI has been educated; if a lawyer or judge were to use the outdated information, they would be subject to harsh penalties.

One thing to consider, is that Human intelligence is vastly different to Artificial intelligence.
Humans have the ability to include feelings, morality and the changing world around us to make more accurate decisions, whereas current AI technology cannot and instead will provide a response dependent on its training. This being said, AI can certainly still be used as an assistive tool alongside our own intelligence, similar to Google.

Even though artificial intelligence has the potential to transform almost every industry, including the legal sector, it is crucial to carefully analyse the ethical and legal ramifications. AI must be created, applied, and regulated in a manner that safeguards personal rights and data privacy while also guaranteeing that the technology is just, dependable, and trustworthy.