In recent months there has been a surge of interest in generative AI technologies, demonstrated in part with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an advanced deep-learning language model. This ‘chatbot’ is capable of providing human-like responses to specific inquiries, and has the advantage of learning from massive datasets with extensive coverage. The model’s capabilities however, are still in the developmental stage, as some users have reported issues due to certain request complexities or as its capacity was exhausted. Google also released their own language model called Bard, in February which has been put to use for summarizing current events, amongst other proposed uses. Additionally, organizations have explored the potential of ChatGPT’s capabilities for legal applications.
With generative AI tools now entering the legal landscape, ethical considerations must be taken into account, specifically in ensuring a certain quality of generated output, transparency of consumer data and the potential for unintentional harms caused by the technology. With the advancement of such technologies, questions arise as to the extent that legal practitioners can and should implement such tools in their practice. A careful examination of efficacy, risk and relevance must be conducted before considering the use of AI in legal settings. By understanding the ethical considerations of AI, lawyers and firms can ensure they use the technology responsibly.
As mentioned before, OpenAI, a non-profit artificial intelligence research company, introduced the deep learning based ChatGPT, while Google released their equivalent product Bard. Both of these language models are relatively new yet their implementation provide the unique advantage of creating explanations and summaries off various given texts, greatly reducing the load and burdensome task of creating individual documents.
In leveraging these resources in a law practice, practitioners must take into account the issue of accuracy and quality of generated output, transparency of consumer data, and potential for unintended harm caused by the artificial intelligence. By diligently understanding these ethical considerations, and seeking advice from experts, lawyers and legal professionals can ensure that systems are both compliant and appropriately maintained.
In the end, the emerging generative AI landscape presents us with a great set of tools for bettering the legal sector. With careful consideration and ethical implementation of AI tools however, it is possible to see even greater potential of their use. Therefore, the need for frank and thorough legal research encompassing the ethical implications of these new technologies cannot be stressed enough.
