An insurance organization has sent a warning to several law firms recently – and it is unlikely to be the last. The warning concerned ChatGPT technology, which utilizes sophisticated artificial intelligence to boost legal team efficiency by automating manual tasks, though it comes with certain risks and vulnerabilities. Such automation has the potential to streamline the legal process, improve accuracy and speed up the delivery of advice. However, the lack of expertise in the use of the technology means that there is a risk of it being misused and exploited, potentially leading to ethical, reputational and financial issues.
The insurance organization making the warning has a long history in the insurance industry and has been providing legal malpractice risk management advice to both small and large law firms. It is well aware of the risks and concerns involved in automated systems and they have issued this warning to make sure that law firms are aware of the potential risks related to using such technologies.
As this technology is still relatively new, and as the potential risks are largely unknown, the advice from the insurance organization is that law firms need to take steps to ensure that their team is operating safely, and that any staff members who are not adequately trained in the use of the technology have responsible oversight. Furthermore, establishing clear policies and procedures for the control, access, and storage of confidential information is essential.
The warning from the insurer likely won’t be the last as the use of this technology is set to increase in the industry. However, it can be an invaluable source for guiding best practices for law firms who are considering implementing this technology and to ensure that the risks posed by its use are minimized as much as possible.
