Can (or should) AI Replace Your Attorney?

I have to admit, artificial intelligence (“AI”) is quickly changing how we personally and professionally operate. The number of AI tools continue to grow on a daily basis, and many of them draft contracts, summarize complex agreements, flag potential risks, and answer legal questions in seconds.

Honestly, as someone who has tested out many of these tools, it is quite impressive.

But, as impressive as it is, it is not an attorney replacement; but instead, a great supplement to use when your attorney is unavailable, or you are unsure whether the matter and hand actually requires an attorney’s touch.

When used properly—AI can drastically increase efficiency and reduce administrative legal spend. AI tools are excellent at generating first drafts/redlines of agreements, organizing and summarizing large documents and/or data sets, identifying common clauses or inconsistencies, and speeding up repetitive tasks.  In many scenarios, regardless of industry, that is a major win for your bottom line.

However, legal work is not just document production. Rather, a lot of strategy goes into drafting and negotiating contracts. Not to mention, many of these AI tools use only publicly available legal resources, rather than private legal resources many attorneys use such as Westlaw, Bloomberg, and Lexis.

Similarly, AI does not have an ethical obligation to provide you with accurate advice, like your attorney does, leaving more space for it to make mistakes, with little to no consequences. Think of it like this, would you rather consume food from a restaurant that needs a license to operate (and must abide by health department and FDA regulations), or a non-licensed food court in a warehouse focusing essentially only on data privacy and limitation disclosures?

After all, do you really think AI:

• Understands your business and/or your goals?

• Anticipates how (or if) a dispute may progress, and such dispute’s affect on you or your company?

• Evaluates your risk tolerance?

• Supports its work with professional accountability?

The truth is: legal risk always depends on the details. This is where experience and judgment matter. Bit, in AI’s defense, it can only work with the information it is provided!

With that being said, maybe most effective comparison isn’t AI versus attorneys; it’s the combination of both.

To sum it all up:

• AI is a powerful tool and individuals and businesses that embrace it thoughtfully may gain an advantage, but even the best AI tools still require a skilled operator.

• Looking to leverage technology without increasing risk? Don’t replace your attorney, integrate AI into a smart legal strategy that improves efficiency while keeping your business protected.

If you are considering how to implement AI in a way that strengthens your company or personal life, Ivy Legal welcomes the opportunity to talk through a strategy tailored to your goals.