Here is a recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.
*****
Embracing the Future: The Latest Legal AI Release Signifies a Groundbreaking Shift
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making headlines over the past few months, and for good reason: we’re on the cusp of a technological revolution that has the potential to fundamentally change the world as we know it. The recent emergence of highly functional generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Google Bard is further evidence of this trend. With these news tools readily available and accessible, AI has ushered in a new and exciting era of innovation and efficiency.
The utility of this technology is clear from the rapid adoption of this technology, which has occurred at a rate never before seen. In just two months, ChatGPT reached 100 million users, whereas it took 4 years for the iPhone to reach that same number of users. AI adoption is occurring at an exponential rate, and as a result, generative AI tools are already a familiar concept to lawyers and the general public alike.
According to a recent report released by LexisNexis, “Generative AI & the Legal Profession 2023 Survey Report,” 86% of legal professionals surveyed shared that they were aware of generative AI compared to only 57% of all other consumers. More than a third of lawyers (36%) and nearly half of law students (44%) have used it either personally or professionally, and 19% of survey respondents reported using it in their work.
For further proof of the relevance and importance of generative AI to the legal industry, look no further than the announcement on May 4th from LexisNexis about the launch of Lexis+ AI, a generative AI platform. Lexis+ AI is built and trained on LexisNexis’ extensive repository of exclusive legal content, enabling it to provide trusted, comprehensive legal results. This technology offers features such as conversational search, insightful summarization, and intelligent legal drafting capabilities.
It promises to be more secure and accurate than consumer generative AI tools. Because it is trained on and draws from LexisNexis’ content databases, the output is more trustworthy and relevant. Inquiries are not used for training purposes and the same level of confidentiality that is maintained for traditional search queries in LexisNexis is likewise maintained for all Lexis+ AI queries, which are protected by state-of-the-art encryption and privacy technology designed to keep sensitive data secure.
Currently, Lexis+ AI has been released on a limited basis as part of its early Commerical Review Program, and product feedback is being obtained from a select group of Am Law 50 law firms, including Am Law 50 firms, such as Baker McKenzie, Reed Smith and Foley & Lardner, LLP. LexisNexis also announced its “AI Insider Program.” Legal professionals can sign up (online: www.lexisnexis.com/ai-insider) for early access to Lexis+ AI, provide input on the user experience, receive sneak previews of updates, and participate in exclusive roundtables and webinars.
Now that LexisNexis has thrown its hat into the ring, the stage is set for an explosion of AI technologies designed for the unique needs of the legal profession. As we move forward, the influence of generative AI platforms like Lexis+ AI on the legal profession cannot be understated. The rapid adoption of these tools is set to revolutionize legal research, drafting, and analysis, resulting in previously unseen levels of efficiency and effectiveness.
The future looks bright. Collaboration between industry giants like LexisNexis and the legal community will ensure the generative AI’s relevance, accuracy, and security, ultimately benefiting legal clients and enhancing the practice of law as a whole. By embracing these groundbreaking advancements and adapting to the ever-evolving legal landscape, lawyers and law firms will be better equipped to navigate the challenges ahead. This progressive shift will also contribute to shaping a more innovative and dynamic legal industry that is well-positioned to tackle the demands of a rapidly changing world.
Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and the head of SME and External Education at MyCase law practice management software, an AffiniPay company. She is the author of the ABA book Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes legal technology columns for Above the Law and ABA Journal and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack or email her at niki.black@mycase.com.