The Rise of ChatGPT: What Are The Challenges That A.I. Present To The Legal Sector?
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Within less than a week of San Francisco-based OpenAI’s launch of the ChatGPT chatbot, the software reached an unprecedented one million users.
Having been trained on a massive amount of data, including books and articles, the chatbot can process and compute natural language with an astonishing level of accuracy. This manifests in the human-sounding responses that differentiate ChatGPT from any other AI software out there.
With ChatGPT recently having cracked the Watson Glaser test, a pre-employment critical thinking test used by law firms, it is safe to say that it will definitely present a host of challenges to the legal sector. Though some have gone as far as to say that the bot will potentially lead to job losses and economic disruption, the more reasonable conclusion is that the bot will ultimately act as a tool to assist lawyers.
That being said, there is some validity to the argument that Chat GPT will potentially lead to significant change in the industry - according to Mckinsey, 23% of jobs by lawyers could be automated.
This has firstly been reflected in the growing trend in law firms using AI to automate repetitive tasks and complete work faster. For example, Ross Intelligence has built research platforms that have a detailed understanding of legal arguments which lawyers can use to fill gaps in their legal research. This saves time and resources, as well as allowing legal teams to provide improved services to their clients. Lawyers can also train AI to simplify legalese into plain English for fast answers and easier interpretation: a Twitter user was able to train an AI model to do this by feeding the model just two examples. This would prove exceptionally useful for answering clients’ questions, especially with the software’s conversational tone and ability to contextualise answers. ChatGPT can also create legal documents, such as wills, contracts and NDAs, drastically saving time and reducing errors. Finally, it can help in document reviewing and analysis; firms could review large batches of contracts and documents in mere minutes, with patterns being highlighted to reveal the best course of action.
However, it is important to recognise that the software is not a comprehensive knowledge database, as it occasionally writes “plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers” (OpenAI) and is unable to provide information on topics and changes after 2021. Furthermore, while ChatGPT can successfully gather and summarise information, it falters where critical thinking and extended application of legal principle or precedent is required. Another concern surrounding its use is accountability issues - it would be difficult to pinpoint the party at fault if the AI’s advice to a client led to negative consequences.
But who better to ask this burning question than the bot itself?
Having researched the topic and written this article, I was delighted to see the chatbot reach a similar conclusion, albeit in significantly less time.
Its response to the title of the article was:
“The rise of AI, including language models like ChatGPT, in the legal sector presents several challenges, including:
Bias and fairness: AI models can perpetuate and amplify existing biases in the data used to train them, leading to potential discrimination in legal decision-making.
Lack of interpretability: AI models can be complex and difficult to interpret, making it challenging to understand their decision-making processes and to access their accountability in legal situations.
Legal liability: There is uncertainty about who is responsible for the actions of the AI systems, particularly in situations where harm is caused.
Job displacement: AI-powered systems may automate certain tasks performed by legal professionals, leading to job loss and requiring reskilling.
Ethical concerns: The use of AI in the legal sector raises ethical questions, such as the use of AI in determining the punishment of criminal defendants.
Overall, while AI has the potential to greatly improve efficiency and accuracy in the legal sector, it is important to be mindful of these challenges and to carefully consider the ethical implications of its deployment.”
There is no doubt that ChatGPT is an incredible technology. Yet, it remains far from perfect. It thus seems reasonable to conclude that the software will act as a tool that will potentially make the lives of professionals less stressful. As its development continues, it is more likely that we will see its incorporation into the legal profession in the near future.
Ending with a reflection by Andrew Perlman, Dean of Suffolk University Law School, the chatbot could be capable of producing “something better than machine or human could do alone.”.
