Brian Rogers, regulatory director at Access Legal
By Legal Futures Associate Access Legal
Legal industry experts are advising law firms to approach AI responsibly with good data hygiene, vetting AI tools ahead of adoption and preparing for potential regulations, at the top of their AI checklist.
Legal and tech specialists highlight some of the key challenges legal professionals face when using AI technology , and share their advice on considerations they should make to overcome them in a new blog: ‘AI in the legal sector: Vetted AI tools and training are critical’.
One of the contributors, Brian Rogers, regulatory director at Access Legal, the leading provider of software and services to the legal market, says while there is, as yet, no specific guidance from the SRA, regulators could begin to share instructions in the coming months to establish principles of confidentiality, integrity and honesty and how firms should act in the best interests of their clients.
He believes firms adopting AI need to prioritise security, compliance and confidentiality to protect themselves from risks and future guidance, adding: “One of the big challenges for firms is whether they can actually interrogate their AI systems to satisfy the regulators that the decision-making process is sound. Even if lawyers are not technically minded, they’ll certainly need to understand how the technology works.
“Choosing software providers that have clear security protocols and transparency around data use is an important step in this process.”
Sucheet Amin, senior partner at Aequitas Legal law firm and CEO of inCase, part of Access Legal
Other analysis in the blog comes from Such Amin, a solicitor and Senior Partner at Aequitas Legal, as well as founder of inCase – a market leading communications app for lawyers; David Sparkes, CEO & Founder of Millbourn Ross and Danielle Park, Product Manager at Access Legal.
Each expert has years of experience working within the legal sector and remains hopeful that with greater guidance, and staying on top of compliance training, more law firms will feel confident to embrace AI tools. They say that being aware of the potential risks and challenges, and understanding how to overcome them, more professionals will get the most out of the AI and see improvements in their customer service and client relationships.
Such Amin says there is a greater risk for firms who do nothing to embed AI into their tech and shared: “Firms need to start implementing AI now, so they can deliver the best outcomes for clients but also ensure that the tools they’re using have been properly vetted. If they leave it too late, they’re more likely to take shortcuts and make mistakes.”
David Sparkes, M&A broker and advisor to law firms and legal tech companies
David Sparkes, M&A broker and advisor to law firms and legal tech companies, said many firms need to consider their data and whether they hold large amounts of unverified data, adding: “The pool of data on which AI decisions are made is critical from a regulatory perspective. In some cases, the data is not just inaccurate but also fragmented in different systems and departments, so firms will need to rigorously cleanse and curate their data, and become better at sharing it internally.”
Recent research carried out by Access Legal found that eight in 10 legal workers believe their law firm could benefit from using AI technology more, while 44% of those surveyed said they are already using AI for work. The study was conducted to understand how AI is being used across different industries and the behaviours of employees using it.
The blog is the latest in a series from Access Legal focusing on how AI is used within the legal sector and how embracing AI technology can set firms apart from their competitors. To read the full piece visit: https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/legal/ai-in-legal/ai-in-the-legal-sector-vetted-ai-tools-and-training-are-critical/.
