AI in the Legal Sector
AI and more specifically ChatGPT have caused quite a stir amongst a number of industries and all the signs point to the use of similar systems becoming more prevalent over time. Universities are having to restructure their assessment processes, both to catch people out, using AI to generate course work and then also trying to embrace the technology as potentially a useful learning tool. Other sectors such as marketing and ICT are pushing ahead, using AI in this format to become more efficient – it really is a double-edged sword.
The legal services industry is also feeling the impacts and recent comments from the New Zealand Law Society have raised the issue of using systems like ChatGPT to obtain legal resources and opinions. There have been some reports of AI creating fake case names when providing answers to legal queries, which obviously leads to potential confusion for individuals or legal practitioners who are not entirely familiar with the area of practice that the AI is being used to comment on.
Systems like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard use a combination of statistical models, self-directed learning (machine learning) and supervised learning (human intervention on the code that drives the process) to mimic language output. Put simply, these AI systems attempt to replicate responses by using a series of learned and programmed rules. As they develop and the more they are used, the more proficient they become – however there are always limitations, because these systems don’t actually know what the words mean, they are just incredibly good at predicting how those words should be put together. Sometimes that leads to the gaps in knowledge, being filled in with fiction.
The saying “don’t believe everything you read on the internet” remains as valid today as it did before ChatGPT and its equivalents appeared on the scene. Legal issues are complex and require a trained and experienced professional to be able to interpret, decipher and provide a potential solution for. Feel free to get in touch with us today, where the intelligence is very much real, along with the experience and expertise.