The legal industry could be about to undergo a transformation thanks to the development of artificial intelligence. OpenAI’s new chatbot, ChatGPT, was launched in November 2022 and already has 100 million active monthly users. Able to answer questions and provide recommendations within seconds, ChatGPT can analyse vast amounts of legal documents quickly and accurately, supporting lawyers in their work. While some industry experts are concerned that the technology will make lawyers redundant, others believe it could lead to enhanced productivity and efficiency. However, the accuracy of the AI technology remains a concern, and it may be some time before it is entirely trusted as a reliable source of information.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, was set up in 2015 with the aim of creating and promoting friendly AI that benefits humanity as a whole. The company’s co-founder and CEO is Sam Altman, a former president of startup accelerator Y Combinator.
Suffolk Law School Dean Andrew Perlman is an expert on legal technology and is committed to exploring the potential impact of AI on the legal industry. He believes that embracing such technology will be key to delivering legal services in the future.