INTRODUCTION
The intensification of artificial intelligence will radically transform the original way of law by redefining how legal work will be in the future. It is commonly accepted that routine work such as factory and office work are the most vulnerable to Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is “the use of computer systems to perform tasks that are normally done by humans and require some intelligence decision making”.[1] AI will bring in huge change in the market for legal services. The legal sector has been slow to embrace digital transformation. Even today the best lawyers do most of their work by hand and use old methods. In the office and in the courtroom, lawyers make use of paperwork more than the computer. This is about to change as artificial intelligence is set to transform the legal industry. This article aims to bring an understanding of how artificial intelligence will affect the legal industry and challenges that it will have in the legal field.
INNOVATION IN LEGAL FRATERNITY
Law firms are constantly looking for ways to innovate while they remain efficient with their work to save time. Certainly, this does not apply to all employees at a law firm, but firms are transitioning to a pure data-oriented model. Law firms could save time if they make use of technology in solving their problems using advanced searching for resources. Artificial intelligence will have the greatest impact in the administrative work of lawyers or decrease the amount of work done by the admin clerk in the office or at the court.[2] This will, in turn, restructure business models and finances within law firms. Although this technology can eliminate many office tasks, there is a substantial amount of work that needs to be accomplished through a lawyer, so after the technology process, the lawyer will still have to go through the work. Those which involve the sole task of searching documents or other databases for information and coding that information are most at risk of losing their employment. While there will be job losses, there will also be jobs will be created, including management and development of AI computers.[3] Lawyers can never be able to have the knowledge to deal with the recent technology and they will still play a role of final say in whatever that AI computer will generate. In most cases, lawyers will be freed only from doing routine tasks. Most lawyers’ work will require the human touch. In the legal field, AI will just be a tool to help lawyers to do their work better, faster, and less expensively, rather than to take over the work of lawyers.
CHALLENGES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN LEGAL FRATERNITY
Legal interpretation requires a technical skill. Lawyers need to consult with clients and build up the client relationship to understand their clients and build up the trust in them. Computers cannot do this in the same way humans can. The answers to legal problems are not always easy to understand. It is very rare that legal issues can be solved by simply looking up a provision in the law. Most of the law is built on precedent, where every case has someone arguing the exact opposite of how the case was decided. This means that everything needs to be put into context and AI computers are unlikely to handle this.[4] Most of the clients will not talk to an AI computer, they will prefer a direct communication with their lawyer. This personal relationship that cannot be replaced by a computer. A human can look at the circumstances, the body language, and other intangibles, along with teasing out the relevant details so that you get not only the answer but help with understanding it, so that you can accept it and implement it. It is highly unlikely that AI ever develops to the point of overcoming all four of these key points, at least in our lifetimes.[5]
Lawyering requires human-human interaction, creativity, language processing at the highest level, deep understanding of how society works, and a sort of experience that can only be done by humans. Therefore, human lawyers, at least for the next ten years or so, will be irreplaceable. This means most lawyer jobs should be safe for now in their jobs. If the pace of AI adoption changes significantly and comes faster than anticipated, then the potential for technology disruption in the legal industry can be much larger. All of this tells us that while AI is a game-changer in many ways, it will most likely transform the work done by lawyers rather than eliminate that work done by lawyers. The use of AI computers will drive down the cost of legal services by making sure that certain key legal needs that are straightforward, will be much more in reach every day for workers. Stepping back, we may well need all the AI-legal assistance we can get to improve the work done by the lawyers.
CONCLUSION
One thing is certain, there will be winners and losers among lawyers who do and do not uptake AI. This article has provided a great look of how AI can benefit law firms, but without doubt, there are a multitude of outside risks. AI should continue to stay with law firms, but only under the likelihood that it aligns well with our all legal system worldwide. To a large extent, AI has a rippling effect on our job market and society. Replacing a lot of these middle to back office tasks means less jobs for students coming out of law school. We will also notice a lot of people questioning ethical responsibility of AI among law firms in society. Ultimately, AI’s impact at law firms is a work in progress. AI will continue to be present at law firms, but all these technological advancements will be required to evolve over time with respect to each legal system jurisdiction across the globe. The existing technology may be limited for now, but the possibilities are intriguing, and the availability, quality, and price will all soon come together in products that are just too useful to in-house legal departments to resist. The value of having AI search and predict problems before they occur, combined with the luxury of providing in-house lawyers with more time to think and advise, has every sign of changing the game for the procurement and delivery of legal services. The impact of artificial intelligence to the legal industry is yet to be seen fully.
[1] English Oxford Dictionary
[2] Benjamin “How Artificial Intelligence Will Affect the Practice of Law” University of Toronto Law Journal, vol. 68. January 2018. pp. 106–124. EBSCOhost.
[3] Drew “Ethical Implications of Electronic Communication and Storage of Client Information” Computer & Internet Lawyer, vol. 33. August 2016. pp. 14–18. EBSCOhost.
[4] Betterteam, “Attorney Job Description.” 21 March 2018. https://www.betterteam.com/attorney-job-description. [Accessed 07-10-2020].
[5] Sanzogni “Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge Management: Questioning the Tactic Dimension” Prometheus. vol. 35. March 2017. pp. 37-56. EBSCOhost.
