“Innovation, Impact and Integrity”
The Law Society has launched a new AI strategy focused on three pillars: innovation, impact and integrity.
These pillars focus on leveraging AI in ways that benefit both businesses and clients in the provision of legal services, while supporting effective regulation and ensuring the “responsible and ethical” use of AI to support the rule of law and justice.
These “long-term outcomes” aim to protect practitioners and the public by helping them take advantage of new legal technology and avoid potential pitfalls and downsides.
The goal of the strategy is also to recognize that different lawyers, companies and other organizations have different interests, experiences and expectations towards artificial intelligence and other developing legal technology.
Richard Atkinson, president of the Law Society, commented on the new policy:
“The rapid development of artificial intelligence technology has brought new opportunities and challenges to the legal sector. As a professional body for lawyers, we are ready to support all our members to navigate and benefit from the new world of artificial intelligence.”
He continued: “Driven by innovation, impact and integrity, we aim to ensure we remain the authoritative voice of AI, supporting not only the profession but also the UK economy. We will continue to influence, lead and shape the regulatory and policy views on AI in the legal sector and expand our resources to help businesses identify artificial intelligence risks and to address them to best serve the public interest.”
The new strategy is based on several recent developments in the world of legal technology and artificial intelligence. Earlier this month, Magic Circle firm Linklaters announced it was partnering with King’s College London to expand its AI training program for the firm’s lawyers.
Research in recent weeks has also shown that more than 40 percent of lawyers use AI in their day-to-day work, with speed and productivity benefits cited as the most beneficial.