Lawyers are at risk of being replaced by computers

What are the concerns and capabilities?

CNBC recently posted an article, “Lawyers could be the next profession to be replaced by computers,” and naturally, it caught my attention.

Immediately feeling the threat of artificial intelligence (AI), something I thought a white-collar profession like my own would never be affected by, I delved deeper into the topic and have a new perspective on the possibilities of this advancement in technology. 

According to the article, AI platforms will mine documents for evidence needed in litigation, review and create contracts,  research and perform due diligence prior to corporate acquisitions, as well as raise red flags within companies to identify potential fraud or misconduct. 

That being said, I question, “What work is left for attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants?” These changes will certainly increase efficiency and save clients money, but may also cut jobs by taking away work traditionally done by humans. 

First, we see toll booth operators disappear… then, grocery store clerks… now, attorneys? 

There’s no denying technology has taken a toll on blue-collar jobs throughout the world. We are adjusting the best we can.

Truth be told, humans are not perfect. We get fatigued, we make errors, our minds are sometimes rattled with other thoughts as we dive deep into the research and discovery. Details can be missed. Evidence may exist elsewhere that we may never know about. 

In an age where there’s much more data involved, computers can offer colossal assistance. 

While computers may not be flawless either, studies have shown these bots to be fairly accurate. LawGeex, a leading AI-powered platform for legal contract reviews, has had success thus far in the legal realm. Not only can it take a new contract, read it, and then compare it to a database of every similar contract it’s seen in the past, but it also learns from each review it performs. Talk about a super brain! 

Initially, I was fearful that my job, and the jobs of wonderful, high skilled paralegals and legal assistants, were at stake.  Instead, I am discovering that by allowing AI to take over the more tedious tasks, it is possible that law firms can increase clientele, and maybe even offer legal services at a more economical price.

No one will lose jobs, they will simply have a title change. 

Those who were conducting the extensive digging and compiling of information will instead review the computer’s findings, fact check, and take on more cases. Legal services may become a more accessible service for those who may have not bothered because of the steep price tag.

Jay Leib, founder and managing member of NexLP, a Chicago-based company that offers an AI platform that searches documents for relevant litigation information, said “about 70 percent of the cost of discovery is human cost, people looking through documents and emails and all different things. If we could reduce that from 70 percent to 2 percent, we’re looking at a dramatic cost savings.” 

Of course there’s a fear that computers will take over the world, but in this case, I say, if you can’t beat them, join them! If we allow artificial intelligence to save us nearly 20 hours of work on each case, we can certainly acquire more cases and help more people and companies.  Our profession will become stronger, more efficient and more affordable.

How soon will this transition take place? Well, it has already begun, but is being adopted languidly, and on a task-by-task process. 

“There is this popular view that if you can automate one piece of the work, the rest of the job is toast,” said Frank Levy, a labor economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “That’s just not true, or only rarely the case.”

So fear not, I am not going anywhere, anytime soon. As a forward-thinking attorney, and one who likes to utilize the latest innovations in legal technology, I am excited about my future collaboration with artificial intelligence and look forward to what lies ahead.

*Disclaimer – This is in no way to be considered legal advice. An attorney client relationship does not exist from your reading of this blog or your following any of the courses of action discussed above.