The legal field is associated with high costs and complex procedures, often putting it out of reach for many individuals. Access to court and legal services has been an essential focus of the legal profession. We recognize that some people need to be included in meaningful opportunities to use the legal system to their advantage. However, our approach to the problem requires more pro bono hours from lawyers. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) could change this landscape dramatically.
One way AI can transform the legal industry is by automating routine and repetitive tasks. As AI's abilities continue to improve, it can be deployed in legal work like document review, legal research, and contract analysis. This will reduce costs to lawyers, and hopefully, those savings can be passed on to the client. There will always need to be human review. However, most of the research can be completed by AI.
While reducing the cost for a lawyer should translate into savings for clients, it can improve the lawyer or firm's bottom line. That's why AI's help in reducing legal costs is best when it puts the power directly in the hands of the general public. AI-powered chatbots, virtual assistants, and other tools can provide helpful guidance to litigants. Immediate access to legal information can be invaluable for individuals who need help to afford traditional legal consultation. Thereby empowering litigants to make informed decisions. This may even require rethinking the right to counsel.
The AI revolution is happening, and if AI is embraced and deployed correctly, the legal industry will become more efficient, cost-effective, and accessible.
Fascinating ideas! How can AI be harnessed to such that the concern that AI will supplant professionals is not realized, but instead AI is harnessed by professionals to improve the quality or quantity of work credited to the professional. Perhaps subspecialty practioners in law could become involved in entraining specific versions of AI to perform repetitive, routine, and/or massive tasks, and thus help fashion and ride the wave of AI rather than being steamrolled by it.
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