We all know that AI is making a significant impact on the whole world and even disrupting various professions in their entirety as its groundbreaking model allows for it do tasks with efficiency like humans in some cases cant. While its making strides everywhere and taking up people jobs and replacing them, in the legal landscape it cant really take up the job of a lawyer due to various factors in teh legal industry that dont allow it to be and those factors which need a human touch in order to function to its best. One of the reasons being our own constitution which is often relied upon to be taken up to ones interpretation which the AI cant emulate of a human but that does not mean that the AI does not have a place in the legal landscape at all. As mentioned earlier it can perform certain tasks better than a lawyer and can automate certain tasks, all of which leads up to the fact that is consistent which is that AI is a very useful tool in the arsenal of a lawyer or it can be if used correctly, with that being said, using AI in legal work also poses various risks as to its accountability rather then a human and also its legal ethics and particularly the lost human touch to a particular firm when they implement the AI model as virtual chatbots to update their clients on the case progress but it can also lead to the clients feeling a rather cold machine touch to the case and not a human one which some clients which value human connection and responsibility may take in a negative manner.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence, Legal Practice, Automation, Efficiency,Ethics
Introduction
Being a developing country, India is at a budding stage considering that Artificial intelligence (herein referred to as AI) advent is quite late. Today AI is agitating almost every industry and market in every possible way making people out there anxious or forced to use AI in the world of this cut throat competition. “As we can see this emerging amazing technology which works on the thinking process of a human being. As the Indian government through its policy-making body, Niti Aayog has laid down stress use of artificial intelligence. At present India is lacking an adequate legal framework on artificial intelligence, but in the indirect form, it is utilizing Information Technology Act 2000, for the application of artificial intelligence control and governance. Recently the government has passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 to give shape to its digital governance and privacy-related issues relating to data as well as cyberspace which will directly include the use of intelligence and ethics attached to it”.
What is AI?
Artificial Intelligence (herein referred to as AI) is a phrase coined by John McCarthy who is known as the Father of AI. According to the definition given in the The Oxford English Dictionary, AI is the “software used to perform tasks or produce output previously thought to require human intelligence, esp. by using machine learning to extrapolate from large collections of data”
Review of Literature
The literature review highlights the different aspects of the AIs role in transforming the traditional practices followed by the Advocates, Law firms etc by studying the matter with the help of research papers, books, journals, case studies and other academic works. Apart from the theories this paper also highlights the changes which have been observed in the practicality of applying law in legal practices by way of certain case studies as to how AI has changed the age-old game with its new rules and challenges. The current research has extensively used literature that is available in the public domain which includes the articles, Journals, and other secondary sources. I also put my hands on the LinkedIn accounts of several law firms to get the raw data available.
History of AI
Artificial Intelligence is not a foreign concept for human beings as we have been aware of its existence from science fiction movies which have depicted its prowess to act in an intelligent manner to simulate human intelligence and even overcome it to take over the world. While artificial intelligence has arrived in our lives and people are interacting with it on a regular basis, the vision depicted by those science fiction has not been realized as the artificial intelligence that we are interacting with is quite different from those movies. The artificial intelligence that we are currently interacting with has become integral to the lives of a lot of people on various levels and thus artificial intelligence isn’t just a futuristic fever dream but a tool to advance several different fields.
Advantages of using AI in legal practise
- Enhanced efficiency :
The quick integration of language models also promises a lot of efficiency related improvements to the whole scope of managing, storing and various other mundane tasks that needed to be done by the lawyers but can now be done using AI efficiently.
- Automated Document review :
Large language models like the Chat GPT 3 which is being used a lot in the modern world for all kinds of tasks by a lot of professionals can also read, review, and even flag down key pieces of information that might not have been visible or even noticeable at an instant to even a lawyer but the AI model can do that in an instant which may increase accuracy in document reviews.
- Discovery:
Since these models have access to the web, the AI models can be used to quickly comb through a lot of data and information to relevant cases, statutes, and precedents relevant to the case in question. This method helps them speed up the discovery process, and thus they can spare more time on other parts of the case.
- Lowering Costs:
AI can automate a lot of tasks that require constant human input and time to function properly, but AI can take over these activities, lowering the cost of the operation for that particular individual or firm in question.
- Contract analysis:
In addition to all the other perks that have already been mentioned, AI can also help in another crucial aspect of legal practice, contract analysis, as these AI tools can analyze contracts quickly and even offer insights into possible risks or compliance problems that may occur due to human error and prevent that in an efficient manner.
- Virtual chatbots:
Chatbots that can be powered through a variety of AI models can be used to setup a 24/7 chatbot for the use of clients in order for them to actively keep up with the case without requiring any manpower in order for it to function properly.
- Compliance monitoring:
Since AI can be automated and can be used to keep an eye on things without fail, this feature can also be used to maintain a close eye on updates on the case. And all the intricate details.
- Reviewing documents:
AI tools can also help in reviewing documents, reducing the amount of resources needed to do due diligence in a particular case.Hence, they cut down on the manpower required for any particular case.
Disadvantages of using AI in legal Practice
While there are many advantages to using AI in a legal field, there are also numerous disadvantages that need to be considered before using AI in a legal field.
- Lack of Human Judgement:
AI is unable to bring various human emotions that seem crucial for Legal matters.AI does not have any kind of human judgment, empathy and sophisticated knowledge that lawyers do. It fails to address ethical concerns and some subjective interpretations in legal matters that need so.
- Lack of Ethical Concerns :
Since AI does not have a mind of his own,it is very difficult for it to have ethical concerns Regarding to the everyday people or companies that it interacts with on behalf of legal professionals. Various issues can arise due to issues related to bias in algorithm accountability for AI decisions.And the responsible use of AI itself.
- Loss of personal connection:
With regards to AI, while it can have many benefits, and some of them are crucial to the existence of a law firm and 23 but The presence of AI cuts down on the personal connection factor that clients often value in legal interactions.This could have is serious impact on client satisfaction and its relationships.
Research Methodology
The research methodology used is analytical and qualitative. The researcher referred to many secondary sources like journals, articles, research papers, and books to get a sense of the impact or changes AI is making in the legal world. Relevant case laws and judgments have been referred to by the author in the course of writing this paper.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is a tool that is being used by the whole world in some manner, especially the professionals. In a lot of areas. this tool has achieved the state that the professional who has been using it can’t go back to their workflows. without having AI integrated in it. When talking about the legal landscape, It gets a lot more complicated, especially in India AI has not yet reached the level where every professional in the legal industry is relying on it. Still, many of the legal firms specialize in legal practices. Many professionals are using it, and it has its advantages, some of the advantages being efficiency and how it can quickly do tasks that you need to do. Or the fact that it does not need human input or to do various other tasks that may be repetitive in nature. It is also quite helpful in discovery one of the key aspects of legal practice, which can be streamlined by using it, as it is more efficient than humans. For all of these tasks, or any tasks are the same variety or nature, AI is a very helpful tool. In the legal industry, it also has its disadvantages, one of which is its lack of ethics, or particularly the lack of human touch, which it can’t emulate. All of this come with a caveat that AI is just a tool for a lawyer And no matter how advanced it gets in the future, it shall always remain and I think will always remain Just a tool that’s in the arsenal of a lawyer to streamline its practice as legal practice needs a lot of human touch, human input, and critical thinking which the AI can’t emulate.But in the midst of all of this, there are a lot of issues that need to be ironed out first, like the issues regarding Ethical concerns and AI accountability but if these issues are possibly ironed out then it can become a staple in the tools of the legal practice.
Name- MD Shaad Haque
Cllg- IMS Law College Noida.