ChatGPT, a new artificial intelligence application, has been making waves in the legal industry. This cutting-edge AI language model allows users to ask questions or request that the application complete specific assignments and the results are often impressive.
At first, users experimented with ChatGPT by asking it to write stories or tell jokes. However, some have begun to explore its potential for answering legal questions. Lawyers typically spend hours conducting their research by reading cases, secondary materials, and other documents to conclude about legal issues. If an application like ChatGPT could provide concise answers to legal questions, it could revolutionize the legal profession.
To test its capabilities, lawyers have asked ChatGPT basic questions about the elements of points of law. The application provided easy answers, so lawyers have begun to ask more nuanced questions about complex legal issues. Surprisingly, ChatGPT has been able to answer most of these questions with ease. While it doesn’t provide citations to cases or other authorities, the information could set lawyers on the right track toward researching points and gaining more confidence in their answers.
However, it’s important to note that artificial intelligence cannot yet replace the work of lawyers. Robots cannot represent people in court, and the use of technology in the legal industry will likely not impact the majority of roles that lawyers complete. Nonetheless, legal professionals should keep their ears to the ground about technological advances like ChatGPT to best serve clients and be as efficient as possible with their work.
Artificial intelligence applications like ChatGPT can make it easier for lawyers to refine their research and focus their questions on things that cannot be discovered through applications. This might help lawyers avoid broad research that typically accompanies any attempt to look into a new area of the law since applications can provide some of the basic information about a legal query quickly and precisely.
Moreover, advances in artificial intelligence might make lawyers even more efficient in their jobs. While such applications would likely need to be reviewed by a human lawyer to ensure accuracy, it’s not impossible that someday, such advances could allow lawyers to focus on specialized legal tasks beyond the abilities of technologies.
However, for now, lawyers can rest easy knowing that their unique writing style and tone cannot yet be replicated by technology. The legal industry will continue to rely on human lawyers for their expertise. Still, it’s worth exploring the potential benefits of using applications like ChatGPT to enhance research and improve efficiency.
