“Artificial Intelligence and the Law: When Robots Know More Than Your Lawyer”

Swift Currie attorneys Jonathan Wilson, Traci Teer and Andy Jarrett authored an article for the Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Law discussing how artificial intelligence is changing the legal industry while providing insight on its potential drawbacks.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the legal field, with the potential to significantly reshape how law is practiced and how legal services are delivered.

Generative AI tools can analyze vast data sets, recognize patterns and produce content quicky, which can help improve efficiency and reduce errors. Industry experts say the adoption of AI can improve accuracy, enhance decision-making and reduce costs by eliminating time-consuming tasks, such as document review, legal research and claims analysis.

However, the rise in AI also brings significant risks, such as privacy concerns, potential bias and vulnerability to fraud. Generative AI tools operate based on human-provided data; therefore, their reliability is only as strong as the information it is given.

Despite AI’s growing role, the legal profession lacks universal guidelines to govern its use, leaving a “gray area” of what is acceptable. Legal analysts recommend organizations adopt transparent protocols, provide AI training and maintain human oversight to ensure responsible human implementation.

The legal industry must balance innovation with accountability, ensuring efficiency gains do not come at the expense of ethical practice.

“Practically speaking, this technology has the power to quickly outdistance the average person’s understanding,” the attorneys stated. “…So legal professionals and others in the legal field are encouraged to adopt guidelines and rules for its use.”

To view the full article, the journal may be purchased here.