Should Lawyers Use Chat GPT?
The rise of AI means many systems and processes in the legal industry are being automated and streamlined. There’s widespread concern AI will one day make lawyers redundant, and we’ll all live in a world dominated by robot judges and juries.
Out of protest, it seems many lawyers are refusing to properly utilise AI systems, particularly Chat GPT. Us lawyers pride ourselves on our ability to write, so when a machine comes along and claims to be able to do it better, it’s no wonder we feel put out. But is it really all that bad?
I’ve used Chat GPT a lot; not to write for me, but to spark inspiration or assist with research. Lawyers can use it for the same purpose. They can even use it to write for them if they want, but it won’t produce the same engaging results as a human can.
The reason for this is Chat GPT simply analyses the data it has and regurgitates it into whatever format and structure you ask it to. It doesn’t understand the emotion behind the work, nor the human experience which is vital in so many parts of legal practice.
So Chat GPT shouldn’t be seen as a threat; it’s a long way off being able to provide the same value as a human lawyer does.
Instead, see it as an assistant. Legal research is tedious, and utilising AI effectively will help lawyers produce faster results and maximise productivity. It can also be used to help prepare structured plans for legal documents, such as witness statements, which the lawyer can then use to build upon.
But it can’t be used to provide legal advice. The varying circumstances surrounding legal issues are too nuanced, and Chat GPT is unable to grasp the context and intricacies related to most legal dilemmas. Particularly in areas like family and criminal law, there’s no way AI can process and truly understand the emotions being experienced by the parties, let alone advise them on making some of the most important decisions they’ll ever make.
Fair warning should be given to always fact check the results generated by AI; two of its other major downfalls are that it’s not always up-to-date and produces biased answers.
Lawyers should certainly avoid becoming overly reliant on AI to do their jobs for them. However, when used properly, Chat GPT can change legal practice for the better.
