Last month, an attention-grabbing report by the OECD announced that lawyers were at “high risk” of losing their jobs to artificial intelligence (AI). However, a more nuanced view is suggested by a recent international survey conducted by LexisNexis, titled the“International Legal Generative AI Survey”.
This survey, which involved feedback from 7,950 legal professionals, law students, and consumers from the U.S., U.K., Canada, and France, aimed to shed light on the potential impact of generative AI on the legal profession.
Interestingly, less than half of American respondents (39%), compared to 50% from other countries, believe AI will have a significant or transformative impact on their legal work. This relatively low number may be influenced by the recent media frenzy following instances where ChatGPT, an AI system, was improperly used as a caselaw research tool by US attorneys, leading to widespread misgivings.
On the other end of the spectrum, both France and Canada see the largest potential for AI impact on law, albeit with varying sentiments. French professionals expressed the highest level of uncertainty and negativity towards AI, while Canadian respondents were among the most positive.
One of the most intriguing observations from the LexisNexis survey is the anticipated applications of AI in the legal sector. While many respondents erroneously believe that “researching matters” requires a generative AI – a notion debunked by the recognition that AI has been enhancing legal research for years without the use of generative models – the consensus is that document drafting stands to gain the most from AI applications. Especially transactional lawyers are keen on using AI to analyze market language and determine what has been legally effective in the past.
Undoubtedly, AI is poised to reshape the legal landscape. Its arrival will herald change, both positive and negative, which will eventually normalize in the legal profession. The key takeaway from the LexisNexis AI survey is that legal practitioners should be ready to adapt and capitalize on the changes AI brings.
