Generative AI in the Law: Where Could This All Be Headed?

In the great science fiction film Blade Runner, a police officer played by Harrison Ford says of Replicants, which are essentially organic androids: “Replicants are like any other machine — they’re either a benefit or a hazard. If they’re a benefit, it’s not my problem.”

As the media coverage of ChatGPT, Bard and its cohorts would seem to indicate, the time has come for society to grapple with the benefit / hazard question as applied to generative artificial intelligence (AI). (“Generative” refers to the latest iteration of AI that can synthesize information to produce something new.)

To get a sense of what the legal industry predicts, Above the Law and Wolters Kluwer fielded a survey of 275 professionals from March to mid-April 2023. We asked about AI’s potential effects in varied areas of the legal industry: Will it differentiate successful firms? Which practice areas could be affected the most? Could even high-level work be transformed?

Our respondents were eager to share their opinions, often providing lengthy, thoughtful responses to our open-ended queries.

Here, we’re pleased to share what they had to say, along with insights from some of the top voices in legal tech.