An insight into Artificial Intelligence by Savvas Skordellis.
Artificial Intelligence is the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent behaviour. AI is the simulation of human behaviour and cognitive processes on a computer and hence us the study of the nature of the whole space of intelligent minds. AI research began in the 1940s and early 1950s. What’s the future of artificial intelligence technology in the legal profession? If you haven’t been paying attention, artificial intelligence has arrived in terms of helping lawyers do things faster, better, and cheaper.
In 1950, Isaac Asimov set down three fundamental laws of robotics in his science fiction masterpiece “I. Robot”. 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2) A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; 3) A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
AI (or cognitive computing) is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks previously thought to require human intelligence. In other words, is a computer software. Further, is helping computers achieve extraordinary feats that truly catapult us to the future. AI technology is the beginning of a Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The principles used by “robot” lawyers are the same as their human counterparts; they amalgamate data on a legal issue and advise based on that collated information. The legal industry generates a huge amount of data on a daily basis. Judgements, precedents, interpretations of legislation; all create more data and amongst it all will be facts and insights that could help win legal argument or be the key to unlocking a particular transaction.
Amongst the high volume of data that is available, machines are better at finding the relevant information more accurately. In an experiment conducted by LawGeex reviewing non-disclosure agreements (NDA) with deliberate risks inserted into them – AI tools finished with an average accuracy rates of 94 per cent (the highest score being 100 per cent) with the human lawyers scoring an average of 85 per cent (the highest score being 97 per cent), and whilst that accuracy gap is relatively (and reassuringly) narrow, the difference in the time taken was not. The human lawyers took an average of 92 minutes to review the NDAs, whilst the machine took just 26 seconds.
According with LexisNexis 2018 Insight report, titled “Legal Technology: Looking Past the Hype”. 57 per cent of the general counsel surveyed believes that technology investments have already increased productivity: Moreover, 60 per cent of general counsel believes that technology will help improve the accuracy of legal work in the next three to five years.
Furthermore, in “Lola v Skadden and the Automation of the Legal Profession”, in the Yale Journal of Law and Technology, states: “Technological innovation has accelerated at an exponential pace in the last few decades, ushering in an era of unprecedented advancements in algorithms and artificial intelligence technologies … [T]o survive the rise of technology in the legal field, lawyers will need to adapt to a new ‘practice of law.’
It is understood that while AI is potentially a game-changer in many ways, it will most likely transform the work done by lawyers rather than eliminate that work. At least for the foreseeable future.
Written by Savvas Skordellis and edited by Stephanos Christodoulou.
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