Global News
Around 79% of legal professionals say that AI would have a positive impact on their working lives – with many hopeful it could help them with time management and repetitive tasks. New research from The Access Group shows that 44% currently use the technology, although 79% believe their firm could benefit from it.
The Access Group surveyed employees in 12 industries and professions – and found that half use AI today. Tech employees are leading the way at 74%, then HR at 68%, while those in the not-for-profit, and health and social care sectors are least likely to adopt it (29% and 30% respectively).
Legal professionals who currently use AI said the biggest benefit is reduced workloads, followed by cost savings and better productivity.
Top five benefits of AI according to legal professionals:
ChatGPT is the most popular AI tool in the legal sector, with around 55% using it – the same as the all-sector average. Around 49% also say generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, have relieved stress or anxiety about their job or workload. However, just over half are worried that AI could replace their jobs.
Stu White, Product and Engineering Director for Access Legal, said: “AI in the legal sector has been patchy until now – with some firms using it in innovative ways, while others have been taking a ‘wait and see’ approach. Although caution is understandable in this highly-regulated sector, it’s becoming clear that the technology will be critical in improving the efficiency and profitability of cases, and raising the bar in client service.
“Where AI can have the biggest impact is in reducing the admin that eats into billable time, such as prioritising tasks and making it quick and easy to find the information lawyers need. It is certainly not a replacement for years of legal experience and expertise – in fact, it should give professionals more time to take on complex or specialist cases.”
However, the survey also uncovered a number of potentially worrying trends among legal professionals.
Around 61% admit they’ve used AI to complete tasks they were meant to do themselves, and 26% say they use it to get ahead in a way they wouldn’t tell their boss about. Over half (51%) have concerns about the accuracy of results, while 48% cited data security, and 43% said reliability of the results.
Marko Perisic, Chief Product and Engineering Officer at The Access Group, said: “AI has taken off in a way that few people could have imagined – but left unchecked it can lead to some employees using it irresponsibly. Sometimes this is down to lack of training about the potential security risks but, according to our survey, a high proportion use it covertly to do their job for them, which is unfair on their colleagues and customers.
“Legal professionals need a vendor who offers the highest data protection standards. Our new AI experience, Access Evo, encourages employees to innovate, while giving them peace of mind that all information is stored in a secure and private environment and not used in other open source AI systems. Approved AI tools like these, underpinned by clear and regularly-updated policies and training, can help everyone to deliver a better standard of service, and get ahead in their careers without compromising company data.”
The full research can be found here.
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