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7 legaltech trends to watch in 2024 [Kirk] + 8 other legaltech-related items

On 12/08/2023, in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, India, innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, UK, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

7 legaltech trends to watch in 2024 — from lexology.com by Sacha Kirk

Legal technology, or ‘legaltech’, is transforming the legal sector by automating processes and enhancing the provision of legal services. As we approach 2024, several trends within this field are particularly worth keeping an eye on. These not only promise to streamline legal operations but will also help increase the in-house legal department’s visibility and value to the organisation.

Here are seven legaltech trends poised to make an impact in the coming year.

1. Artificial intelligence and machine learning
AI and machine learning remain pivotal in legaltech, especially for in-house lawyers who deal with vast quantities of contracts and complex legal matters. In 2024, these technologies will be integral for legal research, contract review, and the drafting of legal documents. Statistics from the Tech & the Law 2023 Report state more than three in five corporate legal departments (61%) have adopted generative AI in some capacity, with 7% actively using generative AI in their day-to-day work. With constant improvements to LLM (Large Language Models) by the big players, i.e. OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft (via OpenAI), 2024 will see more opportunities open and efficiencies gained for legal teams.

Our top 5 legal technology trends predicted for 2024 — from legalfutures.co.uk

5. ID verification software
With identity fraud on the increase there is a growing demand from the Government for people to be identified with accuracy and they are proposing to pass legislation in February 2024 that will tighten the requirements for the professional organisations involved.  They will promote the use of technology to reduce the risk of fraudulent transactions including mortgage fraud where according to Experian’s Report “the greatest jump in fraud cases has been seen …. with fraud increasing from around 41 cases to around 52 cases per 10,000 applications.”

Guest Post: The Year in Justice Tech: 2023 Report and News Roundup — from lawnext.com by Maya Markovich, executive director of the Justice Technology Association

In 2023, the justice tech ecosystem continued to grow rapidly, with a significant increase in solutions addressing access to justice-related challenges for consumers. Justice tech caught the interest of both impact investors, as well as those seeking opportunities to fund the disruption of antiquated systems via technology.

Consulting Giants See AI Shaving Years Off the Path to Partner — from bloomberg.com by Irina Anghel

  • To make it to partner level typically takes at least a decade
  • AI seen freeing up junior staffers to do more meaningful work

Consulting giants and law firms are looking to artificial intelligence to speed up the time it takes junior staffers to make it to the prestigious partner level as the technology eliminates vast swaths of the repetitive, time-consuming tasks that typically filled up their first few years on the job.

Stock Up 10% in December; Unveils Groundbreaking Initiatives — from in.investing.com by Aayush Khanna (India)

Excerpt from DSC — and I’m not out to give legal or investing advice. I just really appreciated the list of legaltech-related innovations:

In the LegalTech realm, QiLegal emerges as a robust cloud-based platform, aiming to digitize the legal framework. Envisaged to propel the justice system with Virtual Courts, Online Dispute Resolution, and AI-enabled Drafting, QiLegal responds to the estimated USD 100 billion global LegalTech market.

The essential role of creator and customer collaboration in legal tech — from legaldive.com by Relativity (sponsored content; emphasis below from DSC)

However, with these high stakes and wide margins for error in hand, the accuracy, defensibility, and reliability of that AI is subject to intense professional and judicial scrutiny. And for good reason: anything less than the thoughtful, intentional development of specifically fit-for-purpose AI applications in this realm can contribute to the loss of millions of dollars, the livelihoods of countless individuals, and deeply damaging miscarriages of justice.

Generative AI and the small law firm: The value of legal domain expertise — from thomsonreuters.com by Mark Haddad
In our new blog series, we continue to discuss how small law firms can leverage their natural advantages with generative artificial intelligence to compete at a higher level

Gen AI presents unprecedented opportunities for small law firms to compete.

The idea that legal Gen AI means turning over legal decision-making to a machine overlooks the importance of the data portion of the Venn diagram above. A properly trained and targeted Gen AI application for legal use will build on the work of lawyers in the form of cases, statutes, briefs and memoranda, how-to guides, contracts, client advisories, templates — all the esoteric and robust data that results from lawyers’ expertise and knowledge.

All law firms, even smaller ones, have an opportunity to leverage their own data assets against competitors at scale once their lawyers identify and curate the appropriate critical data sets from within their firm and embed them within the AI solution. This proprietary data can be combined with larger pools of data from authoritative external sources like trusted legal content sources to further strengthen the responses that the Gen AI tool provides.

AAA® Launches New AAAi Lab Offering Products, Education, Guidance & News Resources — from prnewswire.com by American Arbitration Assocation
Latest Technology Innovation Seeks to Support AAA Users, Arbitrators & Broader Legal Community with Incorporating Generative AI into ADR Processes

NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The American Arbitration Association® (AAA) and its international division, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution® (ICDR®), announces the launch of the AAAi Lab, a web center supporting AAA users, arbitrators, in-house counsel and law firms with policy guidance, educational webinars and tools for embracing generative AI in alternative dispute resolution.

ANALYSIS: Most M&A Attorneys Would Use AI for Due Diligence — from news.bloomberglaw.com by Abena Opong-Fosu

Artificial intelligence (AI) has infiltrated almost every facet of daily life. For M&A lawyers, exposure to AI and machine learning tools likely comes from deals involving the buying and selling of AI companies as well as through the software the lawyers use on a daily basis.

Most deal lawyers who responded to a recent Bloomberg Law survey said that they’re open to using AI at some point in dealmaking.

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“Animate Anyone” [DSC: just don’t look to the ABA to help out here!]

On 12/07/2023, in animation, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, Asia, legislatures / government / legal, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Animate Anyone — from theneurondaily.com by Noah Edelman & Pete Huang

Animate Anyone is a new project from Alibaba that can animate any image to move however you’d like.

While the technology is bonkers (duh), the demo video has stirred up mixed reactions.
…
I mean…just check out the (justified) fury on Twitter in response to this research.

To the researchers’ credit, they haven’t released a working demo yet, probably for this exact concern.

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Learning and Employment Records [National Governors Association]

On 12/06/2023, in career development, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, economics, education, higher education, ideas, innovation, instructional design, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, legislatures / government / legal, liberal arts, lifelong learning, skills, society, training / L&D, United States, vision/possibilities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Learning and employment record use cases -- from the National Governors Association

LERs Are Hot. What Are States Going To Do With Them?

Governors and state leaders are concerned about the current labor shortage, occurring during a time when many skilled workers are underemployed or even unemployed. Skills-based approaches to hiring and recruiting can shift that dynamic—making pathways to good careers accessible to a wider segment of the workforce and opening up new pools of talent for employers. They do so by focusing on what workers know and can do, not on the degrees or credentials they’ve earned.

That’s the theory. But a lot hinges on how things actually play out on the ground.

Technology will play a key role, and many states have zeroed in on learning and employment records—essentially digital resumes with verified records of people’s skills, educational experiences, and work histories—as an essential tool. A lot of important work is going into the technical design and specifications.

This project, on the other hand, aims to take a step back and look at the current state of play when it comes to the use cases for LERs. Just a few of the key questions:

  • How might employers, education providers, government agencies, and workers themselves actually use them? Will they?
  • In what areas do state policymakers have the most influence over key stakeholders and the most responsibility to invest?
  • What actions are needed now to ensure that LERs, and skills-based hiring more broadly, actually widen access to good jobs—rather than setting up a parallel system that perpetuates many of today’s inequities?
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Can new AI help to level up the scales of justice? [Waters, Oliver, & Baddeley]

On 12/01/2023, in Access to Justice (A2J), Australia, ideas, innovation, law schools, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Natural Language Processing (NLP), society, sociology, technologies for your home, technology (general), tools, trends, United States, universities, vision/possibilities, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces, by Daniel Christian

Can new AI help to level up the scales of justice? — from gtlaw.com.au by Peter Waters, Jason Oliver, and David Baddeley

So asks a recent study by two academics from Stanford Law School, David Freeman Engstrom and Nora Freeman Engstrom, on the potential impact of AI on the civil litigation landscape in the US.

It is against this landscape, the study observes, that champions of legal tech have suggested that there is an opportunity for legal tech to “democratise” litigation and put litigation’s “haves” and “have nots” on a more equal footing, by arming smaller firms and sole practitioners with the tools necessary to do battle against their better resourced opponents, and cutting the cost of legal services, putting lawyers within reach of a wider swathe of people.

But is this a real opportunity, and will AI be key to its realisation?
…
However, while AI may reduce the justice gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” of litigation, it could also exacerbate existing inequalities.

From DSC:
While this article approaches things from the lawyer’s viewpoint, I’d like to see this question and the use of AI from the common man’s/woman’s viewpoint. Why? In order to provide FAR GREATER access to justice (#A2J) for those who can’t afford a lawyer as they head into the civil law courtrooms.

  • Should I take my case to court? Do I have a chance to win this case? If so, how?
  • What forms do I need to complete if I’m going to go to court?
  • When and how do I address the judge?
  • What does my landlord have to do?
  • How do I prevent myself from falling into a debt-collection mess and/or what options do I have to get out of this mess?
  • Are there any lawyers in my area who would take my case on a pro bono basis?
  • …and judges and lawyers — as well as former litigants — could add many more questions (and answers) to this list

Bottom line:
It is my hope that technology can help increase access to justice.

Also relevant/see:

Virtual Justice? Exploring AI’s impact on legal accessibility — from nortonrosefulbright.com by Chris Owen and Mary-Frances Murphy

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

A number of products are already under development, or have been launched. One example is a project that Norton Rose Fulbright is working on, together with not-for-profit legal service Justice Connect. The scope is to develop an automated natural language processing AI model that seeks to interpret the ‘everyday’ language used by clients in order to identify the client’s legal issues and correctly diagnose their legal problem. This tool is aimed at addressing the struggles that individuals often face in deciphering legal jargon and understanding the nature of their legal issue and the type of lawyer, or legal support, they need to resolve that problem.

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“History repeats itself…again. The ways of the world/power continue on.” [Christian] + other items re: AI

On 11/27/2023, in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, Asia, change, computer science, corporate / business world, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, digital video, emerging technologies, experimentation, future, game-changing environment, Google, history, intelligent systems, law schools, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, NVIDIA, organizational change, pace of change, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, society, the downsides of how people use tech, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Expanding Bard’s understanding of YouTube videos — via AI Valley

  • What: We’re taking the first steps in Bard’s ability to understand YouTube videos. For example, if you’re looking for videos on how to make olive oil cake, you can now also ask how many eggs the recipe in the first video requires.
  • Why: We’ve heard you want deeper engagement with YouTube videos. So we’re expanding the YouTube Extension to understand some video content so you can have a richer conversation with Bard about it.

Reshaping the tree: rebuilding organizations for AI — from oneusefulthing.org by Ethan Mollick
Technological change brings organizational change.

I am not sure who said it first, but there are only two ways to react to exponential change: too early or too late. Today’s AIs are flawed and limited in many ways. While that restricts what AI can do, the capabilities of AI are increasing exponentially, both in terms of the models themselves and the tools these models can use. It might seem too early to consider changing an organization to accommodate AI, but I think that there is a strong possibility that it will quickly become too late.

From DSC:
Readers of this blog have seen the following graphic for several years now, but there is no question that we are in a time of exponential change. One would have had an increasingly hard time arguing the opposite of this perspective during that time.

 

 

Nvidia’s revenue triples as AI chip boom continues — from cnbc.com by Jordan Novet; via GSV

KEY POINTS

  • Nvidia’s results surpassed analysts’ projections for revenue and income in the fiscal fourth quarter.
  • Demand for Nvidia’s graphics processing units has been exceeding supply, thanks to the rise of generative artificial intelligence.
  • Nvidia announced the GH200 GPU during the quarter.

Here’s how the company did, compared to the consensus among analysts surveyed by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv:

  • Earnings: $4.02 per share, adjusted, vs. $3.37 per share expected
  • Revenue: $18.12 billion, vs. $16.18 billion expected

Nvidia’s revenue grew 206% year over year during the quarter ending Oct. 29, according to a statement. Net income, at $9.24 billion, or $3.71 per share, was up from $680 million, or 27 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago.

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“Thomson Reuters’ AI debut signals a new era of widespread AI integration in legaltech” [Black] + other legaltech-related items

On 11/22/2023, in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, game-changing environment, innovation, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, tools, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Thomson Reuters’ AI debut signals a new era of widespread AI integration in legaltech — from nydailyrecord.com by Nicole Black

It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that legal technology companies have joined the fray. Since early 2023, over one hundred announcements from legal technology companies have emerged, detailing plans to incorporate generative AI functionality into their products. Although most products are stillfirm;eta, rest assured that regardless of the software platforms used in your firm, you can expect that generative AI will soon be seamlessly integrated into the tools that are part of the daily workflows of legal professionals in your firm.

Proof in point: Wednesday’s generative AI announcements from Thomson Reuters offer strong evidence that we’re entering a new era of widespread AI integration. For Thomson Reuter’s legal customers, the integrated generative AI experience will soon be a reality and readily accessible across several different products. This newfound capability largely stems from leveraging CoCounsel, a generative AI legal assistant tool acquired by Thomson Reuters as part of the acquisition of Casetext for $650 million, which was completed in August.

Ironcrow AI’s LLM Sandbox: Setting an Industry Standard — from mccrus.com by McCoy Russell; with thanks to Mr. Justin Wagner out on LinkedIn for this resource

As an innovative firm, McCoy Russell has been at the forefront of patent law with its development and use of proprietary AI software via its software arm Ironcrow AI. Recently, Ironcrow has invested substantial efforts to create a specialized AI LLM Sandbox as a key tool for patent professionals.

Ironcrow is excited to announce a groundbreaking achievement in the field of AI/ML for Patent Law professionals – Ironcrow’s specialized AI LLM Sandbox has achieved a score above the 70% threshold required to pass the patent bar exam, using a test set of questions. While other researchers have developed tools to pass a state bar exam, none have attempted to pass the specialized patent bar exam administered by the USPTO.

This remarkable feat showcases the innovation by the Ironcrow and McCoy Russell partnership and the ability of the LLM Sandbox’s “Interrogate” feature to answer questions based on the knowledge of the patent procedure. The Sandbox can provide well-cited answers along with relevant excerpts from the MPEP, etc., to its users. This unique feature sets Ironcrow AI’s LLM Sandbox apart from other systems in the market.

 

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“The Wolters Kluwer Future Ready Lawyer Report: Embracing innovation, adapting to change” + other legaltech related items

On 11/17/2023, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Access to Justice (A2J), change, changing business models, emerging technologies, future, game-changing environment, innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, pace of change, by Daniel Christian

Don’t Believe the Hype? Practical Thoughts About Using AI in Legal (Stephen Embry – TechLaw Crossroads) — from tlpodcast.com by Stephen Embry

Despite the hype and big promises about AI, if it is used correctly, could it be the differentiator that sets good legal professionals apart from the pack? Stephen Embry offers a good argument for this in the latest episode.

Stephen is a long-time attorney and the legal tech aficionado behind the TechLaw Crossroads blog– a great resource for practical and real-world insight about legal tech and how technology is impacting the practice of law. Embry emphasizes that good lawyers will embrace artificial intelligence to increase efficiency and serve their clients better, leaving more time for strategic thinking and advisory roles.

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The new apprenticeships [Furlong]

On 11/14/2023, in Access to Justice (A2J), Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, Canada, ideas, innovation, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, United States, by Daniel Christian

The new apprenticeships — from jordanfurlong.substack.com by Jordan Furlong
Several American states are rewriting the rules of lawyer licensure and bringing the US into line with a key element of lawyer formation worldwide: supervised practice.

Change comes so gradually and fitfully to the legal sector that when something truly revolutionary happens — an actual turning point with an identifiable real-world impact — we have to mark the occasion. One such revolution broke out in the United States last week, opening up fantastic new possibilities for Americans who want to become lawyers.

The Oregon Supreme Court approved a new licensure program that does not require passage of a traditional written bar exam. After graduating from law school, aspiring Oregon lawyers can complete 675 hours of paid legal work under the supervision of an experienced attorney, assembling a portfolio of legal work to be assessed by bar admission officials. Candidates must submit eight samples of legal writing, take the lead in at least two initial client interviews or client counseling sessions, and oversee two negotiations, among other requirements.

Jordan mentions what’s going on in several other states including:

  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Minnesota
  • Nevada
  • California
  • Massachusetts
  • South Dakota

From DSC:
The Bar Exam doesn’t have a good reputation for actually helping get someone ready to practice law. So this is huge news indeed! The U.S. needs more people/specialists at the legal table moving forward. The items Jordan relays in this posting are a huge step forward in making that a reality.

For other innovations within the legal realm, see:

LawSchoolAi — from youtube.com

Picture this: A world where anyone can unlock the doors to legal expertise, no matter their background or resources. Introducing Law School AI – the game-changing platform turning this vision into reality. Our mission? To make legal education accessible, affordable, and tailored to every learner’s unique style, by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence.

As a trailblazing edtech company, Law School AI fuses cutting-edge AI technology with modern pedagogical techniques to craft a personalized, immersive, and transformative learning experience. Our platform shatters boundaries, opening up equal opportunities for individuals from all walks of life to master the intricacies of law.

Embrace a new era of legal education with Law School AI, where the age-old law school experience is reimagined as a thrilling, engaging, and interactive odyssey. Welcome to the future of legal learning.

 

 

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Lawyers: What’s your “wow moment” with generative AI? [Ziniti] + other items within the legaltech realm

On 11/11/2023, in 21st century, Access to Justice (A2J), Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, future, innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, by Daniel Christian

The legal world in 10 years (if we’re really lucky) — from jordanfurlong.substack.com by Jordan Furlong
Here are eight predictions for how the legal sector will be different and mostly better in 2033. If you have an alternative vision, there’s one sure way to prove me wrong.

What part are you going to play in determining the future? This isn’t a spectator sport or a video game. “The future” will be what you (and everyone else) make it by your decisions, commitments, sacrifices, and leadership — or, equally, by your inaction on all these fronts.

There’s a meme making the rounds that says, “People in time-travel movies are always afraid of committing one tiny action in the past, because it might completely change the present. But people in the present don’t seem to believe that committing one tiny action in the present could completely change the future.” I think that has it exactly right. The future we get is the future that you and I start making in the present, meaning today, right now.

Shadow AI: A Thorny Problem For Law Firms — from abovethelaw.com by Sharon D. Nelson, John W. Simek, and Michael C. Maschke
Its use is often unknown to a law firm’s IT or security group.

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Building a Consumer-Centered Legal Market: Takeaways from IAALS’ Convening on Regulatory Reform [Bednarz]

On 11/11/2023, in Access to Justice (A2J), innovation, law schools, leadership, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, society, United States, by Daniel Christian

Building a Consumer-Centered Legal Market: Takeaways from IAALS’ Convening on Regulatory Reform — from iaals.du.edu by Jessica Bednarz

Two initial high-level takeaways from the convening include:

  • Every state effort is different for a reason. There are many factors that leaders must consider when determining which model(s) of regulatory reform to pursue and how. Some examples of factors to consider include whether the state is a mandatory or voluntary bar state, whether the supreme court justices in the state are appointed or elected, and whether the model(s) to be pursued is market-based or free to consumers. The answers to these questions will likely dictate which stakeholders will likely be allies, which stakeholders will likely be opposed, and which strategy and approach to pursue.
    .
  • We need to better engage the public in regulatory reform efforts. While some organizations and efforts have included public engagement from the outset, (shout-outs to Innovation for Justice and Arizona more generally, as well as Alaska Legal Services Corporation and Frontline Justice), most have not, and this has likely hindered efforts to some degree. The data we have thus far indicates the public is interested in obtaining legal services from alternative service providers such as allied legal professionals and community justice workers, as well as through alternative business models. The more we can engage the public in this conversation, the better chance we have of creating regulatory reform that is aligned with their needs and the better chance leaders have of getting their respective efforts over the finish line.
    • Because this is an area within the regulatory reform space that is ripe for further development and impact, IAALS will soon be launching a project on consumer engagement. Stay tuned for more updates!

IAALS will share a more comprehensive list of lessons learned and recommendations for building and sustaining regulatory reform in its post-convening report, currently set to be released in early 2024.

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“Keep Up With Today’s Legal Tech Or Be Left Behind” [LegalTalkNetwork] + other legaltech related items

On 11/01/2023, in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, emerging technologies, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, tools, trends, vendors, by Daniel Christian

LEGALTECH TOOLS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT — from techdayhq.com

Enter legaltech: a field that marries the power of technology with the complexities of the law. From automating tedious tasks to enhancing research effectiveness, let’s delve into the world of legaltech and unmask the crucial tools everyone should know.

Should AI and Humans be Treated the Same Under the Law–Under a “Reasonable Robot” Standard? (Ryan Abbott – UCLA);  Technically Legal – A Legal Technology and Innovation Podcast

If a human uses artificial intelligence to invent something, should the invention be patentable?

If a driverless car injures a pedestrian, should the AI driver be held to a negligence standard as humans would? Or should courts apply the strict liability used for product defects?

What if AI steals money from a bank account? Should it be held to the same standard as a human under criminal law?

All interesting questions and the subject of a book called the Reasonable Robot by this episode’s guest Ryan Abbott.

Colin Levy, Dorna Moini, and Ashley Carlisle on Herding Cats and Heralding Change: The Inside Scoop on the “Handbook of Legal Tech” — from geeklawblog.com by Greg Lambert & Marlene Gebauer

The guests offered advice to law students and lawyers looking to learn about and leverage legal tech. Carlisle emphasized starting with an open mind, intentional research, and reading widely from legal tech thought leaders. Moini recommended thinking big but starting small with iterative implementation. Levy stressed knowing your purpose and motivations to stay focused amidst the vast array of options.

Lambert prompted the guests to identify low-hanging fruit legal technologies those new to practice should focus on. Levy pointed to document automation and AI. Moini noted that intake and forms digitization can be a first step for laggards. Carlisle advised starting small with discrete tasks before tackling advanced tools.

For their forward-looking predictions, Carlisle saw AI hype fading but increasing tech literacy, Levy predicted growing focus on use and analysis of data as AI advances, and Moini forecasted a rise in online legal service delivery. The guests are excited about spreading awareness through the book to help transform the legal industry.

You’ll never be solo again — from jordanfurlong.substack.com by Jordan Furlong
Generative AI can be the partner, the assistant, the mentor, and the confidant that many sole practitioners and new lawyers never had. There’s just one small drawback…

In terms of legal support, a terrific illustration of Gen AI’s potential is provided by Deborah Merritt in a three-part blog series this month at Law School Cafe. Deborah explores the use of ChatGPT-4 as an aid to bar exam preparation and the first months of law practice, finding it to be astonishingly proficient at identifying legal issues, recommending tactical responses, and showing how to build relationships of trust with clients. It’s not perfect — it makes small errors and omissions that require an experienced lawyer’s review — but it’s still pretty mind-blowingly amazing that a free online technology can do any of this stuff at all. And as is always the case with Gen AI, it’s only going to get better.

In terms of administrative support, Mark Haddad of Thomson Reuters explains in Attorney At Work how AI-driven chatbots and CRM systems can handle a sole practitioner’s initial client queries, schedule appointments and send reminders, while AI can also analyze the firm’s practice areas and create marketing campaigns and content. Earlier this month, Clio itself announced plans for “Clio Duo,” a built-in proprietary Gen AI that “will serve as a coach, intuitive collaborator, and expert consultant to legal professionals, deeply attuned to the intricate facets of running a law firm.”

GPT-4 Beats the Bar Exam — from lawschoolcafe.org by Deborah J. Merritt

In the first three posts in this series, I used a bar exam question as an example of the type of problem a new lawyer might confront in practice. I then explored how GPT-4 might help a new lawyer address that practice problem. In this post, I’ll work with another sample question that NCBE has released for the NextGen bar exam. On this question, GPT-4 beats the bar exam. In other words, a new lawyer using GPT-4 would obtain better answers than one who remembered material studied for the bar exam.

ABA TECHSHOW 2024 – A Preview from the Co-Chairs — from legaltalknetwork.com by Cynthia Thomas, Sofia Lingos, Sharon D. Nelson, and Jim Calloway

Also see: The ABA TECHSHOW 2024

When It Comes to Legal Innovation Everything is Connected — from artificiallawyer.com by Richard Tromans

Legal tech can sometimes feel like it’s the whole world. We get absorbed by the details of the technology and are sometimes blinded by big investment announcements, but without the rest of the legal innovation ecosystem around it then this sector-specific software is limited. What do I mean? Let me explain.

The Most Significant Updates In The Case Management Sphere — from abovethelaw.com by Jared Correia
Joshua Lenon of Clio and Christopher Lafferty of Caret talk over case management software’s role in today’s law firm operations.

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Nearly half of CEOs believe that AI not only could—but should—replace their own jobs [Royle] + other items re: AI in general

On 10/31/2023, in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, biology, business, corporate / business world, creativity, drama/theater, emerging technologies, Google, health, leadership, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, marketing/social marketing, Microsoft, new business models, productivity / tips and tricks, research, society, tools, UK, United States, vendors, workplace, writing, by Daniel Christian

Nearly half of CEOs believe that AI not only could—but should—replace their own jobs — from finance.yahoo.com by Orianna Rosa Royle; via Harsh Makadia

Researchers from edX, an education platform for upskilling workers, conducted a survey involving over 1,500 executives and knowledge workers. The findings revealed that nearly half of CEOs believe AI could potentially replace “most” or even all aspects of their own positions.

What’s even more intriguing is that 47% of the surveyed executives not only see the possibility of AI taking over their roles but also view it as a desirable development.

Why? Because they anticipate that AI could rekindle the need for traditional leadership for those who remain.

“Success in the CEO role hinges on effective leadership, and AI can liberate time for this crucial aspect of their role,” Andy Morgan, Head of edX for Business comments on the findings.

“CEOs understand that time saved on routine tasks can stimulate innovation, nurture creativity, and facilitate essential upskilling for their teams, fostering both individual and organizational success,” he adds.

But CEOs already know this: EdX’s research echoed that 79% of executives fear that if they don’t learn how to use AI, they’ll be unprepared for the future of work.

From DSC:
By the way, my first knee-jerk reaction to this was:

WHAT?!?!?!? And this from people who earn WAAAAY more than the average employee, no doubt.

After a chance to calm down a bit, I see that the article does say that CEOs aren’t going anywhere. Ah…ok…got it.

Strange Ways AI Disrupts Business Models, What’s Next For Creativity & Marketing, Some Provocative Data — from .implications.com by Scott Belsky
In this edition, we explore some of the more peculiar ways that AI may change business models as well as recent releases for the world of creativity and marketing.

Time-based business models are liable for disruption via a value-based overhaul of compensation. Today, as most designers, lawyers, and many trades in between continue to charge by the hour, the AL-powered step-function improvements in workflows are liable to shake things up.
…
In such a world, time-based billing simply won’t work anymore unless the value derived from these services is also compressed by a multiple (unlikely). The classic time-based model of billing for lawyers, designers, consultants, freelancers etc is officially antiquated. So, how might the value be captured in a future where we no longer bill by the hour? …

The worlds of creativity and marketing are rapidly changing – and rapidly coming together. 

#AI #businessmodels #lawyers #billablehour

It becomes clear that just prompting to get images is a rather elementary use case of AI, compared to the ability to place and move objects, change perspective, adjust lighting, and many other actions using AI.

AlphaFold DB provides open access to over 200 million protein structure predictions to accelerate scientific research. — from

AlphaFold is an AI system developed by DeepMind that predicts a protein’s 3D structure from its amino acid sequence. It regularly achieves accuracy competitive with experiment.

After 25 years of growth for the $68 billion SEO industry, here’s how Google and other tech firms could render it extinct with AI — from fortune.com by Ravi Sen and The Conversation

But one other consequence is that I believe it may destroy the $68 billion search engine optimization industry that companies like Google helped create.

For the past 25 years or so, websites, news outlets, blogs and many others with a URL that wanted to get attention have used search engine optimization, or SEO, to “convince” search engines to share their content as high as possible in the results they provide to readers. This has helped drive traffic to their sites and has also spawned an industry of consultants and marketers who advise on how best to do that.

As an associate professor of information and operations management, I study the economics of e-commerce. I believe the growing use of generative AI will likely make all of that obsolete.

ChatGPT Plus members can upload and analyze files in the latest beta — from theverge.com by Wes Davis
ChatGPT Plus members can also use modes like Browse with Bing without manually switching, letting the chatbot decide when to use them.

OpenAI is rolling out new beta features for ChatGPT Plus members right now. Subscribers have reported that the update includes the ability to upload files and work with them, as well as multimodal support. Basically, users won’t have to select modes like Browse with Bing from the GPT-4 dropdown — it will instead guess what they want based on context.

Google agrees to invest up to $2 billion in OpenAI rival Anthropic — from reuters.com by Krystal Hu

Oct 27 (Reuters) – Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Google has agreed to invest up to $2 billion in the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, a spokesperson for the startup said on Friday.

The company has invested $500 million upfront into the OpenAI rival and agreed to add $1.5 billion more over time, the spokesperson said.

Google is already an investor in Anthropic, and the fresh investment would underscore a ramp-up in its efforts to better compete with Microsoft (MSFT.O), a major backer of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, as Big Tech companies race to infuse AI into their applications.

 

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Florida bar weighs whether lawyers using AI need client consent [Sloan]

On 10/24/2023, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, law schools, Legal operations, legislatures / government / legal, research, by Daniel Christian

Florida bar weighs whether lawyers using AI need client consent — from reuters.com by Karen Sloan; via Brainyacts

Oct 16 (Reuters) – Florida lawyers might soon be required to get their client’s consent before using artificial intelligence on their legal matters.

The Florida Bar is crafting a new advisory opinion focused on the use of AI and has asked Florida lawyers to weigh in. Florida bar leaders have tasked the Florida Board Review Committee on Professional Ethics with creating rules around the use of generative AI, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Bard or Microsoft’s Bing.

On a somewhat related note, also see:

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41 states sue Meta, claiming Instagram, Facebook are addictive, harm kids [Lima & Nix]

On 10/24/2023, in engagement / engaging students, ethics, Facebook / Meta Platforms, legislatures / government / legal, morals/values, psychology, social media, society, technologies for your home, the downsides of how people use tech, United States, vendors, youth, by Daniel Christian

41 states sue Meta, claiming Instagram, Facebook are addictive, harm kids — from washingtonpost.com by Cristiano Lima and Naomi Nix
The action marks the most sprawling state challenge to date over social media’s impact on children’s mental health

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia are suing Meta, alleging that the tech giant harms children by building addictive features into Instagram and Facebook. Tuesday’s legal actions represent the most significant effort by state enforcers to rein in the impact of social media on children’s mental health.

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“The Game-Changer: How Legal Technology is Transforming the Legal Sector” [Perfect Portal] + other legaltech-related items

On 10/16/2023, in law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, platforms, tools, UK, Uncategorized, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

The Game-Changer: How Legal Technology is Transforming the Legal Sector — from todaysconveyancer.co.uk by Perfect Portal

Rob Lawson, Strategic Sales Manager at Perfect Portal discussed why he thinks legal technology is so important:

“I spent almost 20 years in private practice and was often frustrated at the antiquated technology and processes that were deployed. It is one of the reasons that I love working in legal tech to provide solutions and streamline processes in the modern law firm. One of the major grumbles for practitioners is the amount of admin that they must do to fulfil the needs of their clients. Technology can automate routine tasks, streamline processes, and help manage large volumes of data more effectively. This then allows legal professionals to focus on more strategic aspects of their work. Ultimately this will increase efficiency and productivity.”

Some gen AI vendors say they’ll defend customers from IP lawsuits. Others, not so much. — from techcrunch.com by Kyle Wiggers

A person using generative AI — models that generate text, images, music and more given a prompt — could infringe on someone else’s copyright through no fault of their own. But who’s on the hook for the legal fees and damages if — or rather, when — that happens?

It depends.

In the fast-changing landscape of generative AI, companies monetizing the tech — from startups to big tech companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft — are approaching IP risks from very different angles.

Clio Goes All Out with Major Product Announcements, Including A Personal Injury Add-On, E-Filing, and (Of Course) Generative AI — from lawnext.com by Bob Ambrogi

At its annual Clio Cloud Conference in Nashville today, the law practice management company Clio introduced an array of major new products and product updates, calling the series of announcements its most expansive product update ever in its 15-year history.

AI will invert the biglaw pyramid — from alexofftherecord.com by Cece Xie

These tasks that GPT can now handle are, coincidentally, common tasks for junior associates. From company and transaction summaries to legal research and drafting memos, analyzing and drafting have long been the purview of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed new law grads.

If we follow the capitalistic impulse of biglaw firms to its logical conclusion, this means that junior associates may soon face obsolescence. Why spend an hour figuring out how to explain an assignment to a first-year associate when you can just ask CoCounsel in five minutes? And the initial output will likely be better than a first-year’s initial work product, too.

Given the immense cost-savings that legal GPT products can confer, I suspect the rise of AI in legal tech will coincide with smaller junior associate classes. Gone are the days of 50+ junior lawyers all working on the same document review or due diligence. Instead, a fraction of those junior lawyers will be hired to oversee and QC the AI’s outputs. Junior associates will edit more than they do currently and manage more than they do right now. Juniors will effectively be more like midlevels from the get-go.

Beyond Law Firms: How Legal Tech’s Real Frontier Lies With SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) — from forbes.com by Charles Brecque

Data and artificial intelligence are transforming the legal technology space—there’s no doubt about it. A recent Thomson Reuters Institute survey of lawyers showed that a large majority (82%) of respondents believe ChatGPT and generative AI can be readily applied to legal work.

While it’s tempting to think of legal tech as a playground exclusive to law firms, as technology enables employees without legal training to use and create legal frameworks and documentation, I’d like to challenge that narrative. Being the founder of a company that uses AI to manage contracts, the way I see it is the real magic happens when legal tech tools meet the day-to-day challenges of small and medium-sized businesses (known as “SMBs”).

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