Within the legal profession technology and artificial intelligence (AI) have already drastically changed the way professional practice operates on a macro and micro scale. However, the recent boom in personal and professional use of AI has showcased the importance of being informed and adaptable; accompanying the positives of mass AI use is also un-navigated terrain that is yet to be wholly understood. The rate at which AI is being introduced into so many spheres of life is reflected in the fact that there is currently no legislation in Australia that limits or applies to AI.
Technology changes things, and as with all change, there is progress and there are at times, pitfalls. Currently, we have witnessed numerous instances in which some individuals have used AI for nefarious purposes, and unfortunately, because more powerful AI systems have recently become accessible in private capacities, as mentioned, legislation does not yet exist, nor know quite how to navigate these uncharted rapidly changing e-landscape.
Despite the recent nerve inducing coverage of AI that focuses on the unknowns, it is also essential that we endeavour to understand and breathe through these ever-changing, often uncertain technological advancements.
Just as in the legal profession, artificial intelligence is already prevalent in our day to day lives, and in many ways that are helpful and not fear-inducing. Originally, many envisioned that AI might manifest in grandiose ways – self-driving cars would be the norm for all or we would exclusively be served by human-like robots when dining-out. However, in actuality, the realities of AI are comparatively underwhelming, and in many ways very helpful. From the text or email prompts in our smart phones or email providers to the self-checkout at Woolworths that identifies our produce for us; just like in the legal system, AI has already become part of our day-to-day.
For many professional practices, expansive filing cabinets have been replaced with ‘soft storage’, time has been saved and spaces expanded. The transfer of land ownership has become streamlined as in NSW it no longer requires parties to meet in person to exchange contracts or to reach settlement, historically lengthy tasks have been condensed to e-workspaces that allow participants to collaborate and progress processes more rapidly. Additionally, systems historically used exclusively for communication now employ AI to anticipate the needs of their user, consequently, professionals are able to organise their workflow in both individual and collaborative capacities, whether sitting shoulder to shoulder or perhaps working remotely.
For many contemporary law firms, in the past are the days of tediously trawling through thousands of physical documents; technological tools that have been embraced by many, and many of which employ artificial intelligence (AI) have allowed searches to become refined and consequently streamlined. In turn, when technology and AI are used efficiently the schedules of many professionals are freed up allowing them to focus on what is most important, achieving success for their client.
Taking a small step back to breathe it all in allows us to see more clearly how initially, these incremental technological additions to our lives may too have been daunting, but through seeking to understand, the ways we operate personally and professionally have, overall been improved. Helpful email prompts and the changes in file management from piles of paper to online storage would have originally felt uncertain, however, to avoid the potential pitfalls of uncertainty and in order to find the positives we must breathe deep and seek to understand how these inevitable technological additions can be used to better our lives.
Written by Harper Ashton