The legal sector is evolving as firms try to incorporate AI into their daily tasks, and judges try to incorporate it into their work in the court room. Using AI is both exciting in helping the sector to evolve, but it can also be unnerving when the future of it is so unknown. In March 2024, the Master of the Rolls (Sir Geoffrey Vos) spoke in Manchester, giving a speech titled “AI- Transforming the work of lawyers and judges”. Some of the key takeaways are laid out below.
The speech started with a reassurance that AI itself is not a scary concept. Sir Geoffrey Vos said that we use AI each and everyday as we pick up our smartphone, and it only becomes scary and ‘dangerous’ when misused. There was a suggestion that AI will actually become ‘necessary’ in the workplace, in order to protect against claims of negligence and assure clients that we, as solicitors, have used reasonable skill, care and diligence in our work.
Sir Geoffrey summarised the judicial guidance for working with AI, which emphasises a need to use it with care. Sir Geoffrey said that generative AI like Chat GPT does not provide completely reliable information, should always be checked by the individual and warned that the platform may not be confidential.
Examples of when AI will be used in the legal sector included drafting contracts, predicting case outcomes, drafting advice and submissions and writing memos, briefs and opinions.
So, why will it need to be adopted by solicitors? Firstly, if other law firms are using AI then they will be cheaper for clients. Secondly, it can speed up a solicitor’s job. Thirdly, AI can do some tasks more comprehensively than a human.
Sir Geoffrey Vos also discussed why judges will need to start using AI. He said that it can enhance judges’ efficiency and research capabilities by analysing vast amounts of documents and law; it can help with subconscious bias awareness, and it can be useful for the new online systems of pre action online dispute resolution processes.
Sir Geoffrey Vos was optimistic about the prospect of incorporating AI into the legal sector, saying that it has “great potential” and that the process “cannot be started soon enough”.
You can read the speech in full below:
unknownx500
