Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to be the most disruptive class of technologies in driving digital business forward during the next ten years. Yet even among the most tech-savvy professionals, there is conflict over what it can and cannot do. The most promising aspect of applying AI in the legal profession lies in automating simple and repetitive tasks, like e-discovery or legal bill review, while enabling human experts to improve results beyond what machines or people could do alone. This combination allows for improved productivity, while driving significant time and resource savings.

 

With AI becoming a more common part of our personal lives via products and services, like Alexa and Netflix, it is not surprising that its use is also increasing in the legal space. This is an extremely positive development for legal professionals.

As advanced and useful as this technology is, it represents an enhancement to how attorneys will work in the future, not a replacement for them. Law is a complex discipline and, as a result, lawyers routinely perform a broad spectrum of tasks requiring a wide range of knowledge and skill. AI’s remarkable ability to perform well at limited tasks, such as identifying specific patterns in billing, does not extend to the far-ranging skillsets that attorneys bring to their roles. The real value is in combining the efficiency of targeted AI applications with the expertise of legal professionals.

While AI offers great opportunities in cost, efficiency, and productivity benefits, it is people who bring deep insight into an organization’s most challenging problems. Their expertise, together with the evolving artificial intelligence technologies, promises to continue to revolutionize and empower legal operations.

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