Artificial intelligence is not a new concept. Though the modern day practices of machine learning and natural language processing seem like something boarding on science fiction, the idea of humans personifying inanimate objects stretches back throughout human history.
Mike McGlinchey
Head of Client Consulting
The awareness and accessibility of generative AI has the potential to significantly transform legal service delivery.
The Dartmouth Conference and the Turing Test
The term “Artificial Intelligence” was coined at The Dartmouth Conference in 1956, which in itself was a seminal event in the AI timeline. As well as giving AI its name, the Dartmouth Conference saw the development of a roadmap for AI research and in turn this contributed to the creation of the Turing Test. Named after the famed British mathematician, Alan Turing, this test sees a judge (or judging panel) ask a series of questions that a human would be able to answer to both a person and to a machine, both of whom are in separate rooms. The machine passes the test if it is adjudged to have responded to the questions as if it were a human.
Although no machines have flawlessly passed the test, there have been instances where they have been capable of fooling the judges. The rise of generative AI, that being AI which is capable of generating new data or content that is similar to data it was trained on, has further blurred the lines between human and machine responses to this test.
Mike McGlinchey
Head of Client Consulting
While some tools are starting to appear, most legal use cases are limited in scope and we are yet to see or measure tangible results around legal transformation.
The Interview
To demonstrate the effectiveness of modern AI, a series of simple questions about Vario’s service lines have been posed to ChatGPT.
The only editing that has been done to the answers is to add some relevant hyperlinks.
Who are Pinsent Masons Vario?
Pinsent Masons Vario is a flexible legal resourcing platform offered by the international law firm Pinsent Masons. It connects clients with experienced legal professionals on a temporary or project-specific basis, allowing them to access skilled legal talent when needed without long-term commitments. This model offers clients flexibility in managing their legal resources and is particularly useful for addressing short-term legal challenges and specialized projects.
What else does Pinsent Masons Vario offer aside from flexible legal resourcing?
Pinsent Masons Vario not only offers flexible legal resourcing but also provides legal technology and process improvement solutions to help clients optimize their legal operations. They offer expertise in areas like managed legal services, legal project management and company secretarial services to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Additionally, Vario offers legal consulting services to assist clients with legal strategy, compliance, and regulatory matters.
What is a consultant lawyer?
A consultant lawyer is an experienced legal professional who provides specialized legal advice and services to clients on a freelance or contract basis. Unlike traditional in-house lawyers or law firm associates, consultant lawyers typically work independently and may offer their expertise in a specific area of law or industry. They are often hired for short-term projects, specialized tasks, or to fill temporary gaps in legal teams, providing clients with flexibility and cost-effective legal solutions.
Should lawyers use AI to help them with their work?
Yes, lawyers should consider using AI to assist them with their work. AI can help lawyers improve efficiency by automating routine tasks like document review and legal research, allowing them to focus on more complex and strategic aspects of their practice. Additionally, AI can enhance legal research, provide data-driven insights, and assist in contract analysis, potentially leading to better outcomes for clients and more cost-effective legal services. However, it’s important for lawyers to use AI tools judiciously, ensuring they understand the technology’s capabilities and limitations, and to maintain ethical and regulatory compliance in their legal practice.
What are the main risks for lawyers who use AI to help them with their work?
The main risks for lawyers using AI in their work include:
- Data Security and Privacy: AI systems require access to potentially sensitive legal data, raising concerns about data breaches and privacy violations if not properly secured.
- Dependence on Technology: Overreliance on AI may reduce critical thinking and legal analysis skills, potentially leading to errors or misunderstandings of complex legal issues.
- Ethical Concerns: Lawyers must ensure that AI tools adhere to legal ethics and professional standards, including maintaining client confidentiality and avoiding biased or discriminatory outcomes that AI algorithms may produce if not properly trained and monitored.
Saj Ali
Senior Client Consultant
The biggest risks to professionals regarding the use of gen AI revolve around confidentiality. There’s a lack of clarity around how this data could be used and potentially exposed if it forms part of the system’s “intelligence” to generate future content.
Does ChatGPT pass the Turing Test?
It was clear from the interview that the AI was sophisticated, but it was equally clear that it was not quite on the same level as a human. For each question, the prompt “Please keep your answer to no more than 3 sentences in length” was required. When the first question was asked without this, a lengthy response was produced with large amounts of text pulled word for word from our own website. It was only after the prompt was added that the responses started to become more concise and less plagiarised. If this was a test, then it wouldn’t have passed it, but ChatGPT stands as clear evidence that generative AI is not only becoming more capable but also more accessible to the general public.
Saj Ali
Senior Client Consultant
There can be a lack of understanding around what AI can do, and what it can’t do. Ensuring this is clearly articulated before embarking on using the technology could avoid costly issues down the line.
Conclusion
The above interview shows how far AI has come since the 1950s and how easy it is for ordinary people to use it. Professional service firms are beginning to explore the use of different AI technologies, but this should come with two key caveats: (1) don’t expect AI to always be capable of replacing a qualified person; and (2) exercise a degree of caution and due diligence when using AI around personal data.
Mike McGlinchey
Head of Client Consulting
The challenge for the legal industry is in being able to respond to a fast moving environment. We’ve got to assess and adapt to these new technologies while at the same time not lose focus on traditional legal tech that still has so much to offer.
For more information on how to keep legal projects solution-focused rather than technology-led, contact our Consulting: Process and Technology team.
For further information, please contact:
Henry Hilton, Pinsent Masons
henry.hilton@pinsentmasons.com
