Thomson Reuters and Microsoft have recently announced their partnership to revolutionize the legal industry through the integration of generative AI technology. The collaboration aims to enhance efficiency and productivity by developing a contract drafting plug-in for Microsoft Word powered by artificial intelligence. Additionally, Thomson Reuters plans to incorporate generative AI capabilities into its suite of legal products, including Westlaw Precision, later this year.
With a commitment to investing $100 million annually in generative AI, Thomson Reuters is determined to leverage the potential of this technology. Initially, the contract drafting plug-in will be compatible with Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI assistant feature for Microsoft 365. However, the companies envision extending its functionality to other applications within the Microsoft suite in the future.
During a video conference with journalists, David Wong, Chief Product Officer at Thomson Reuters, emphasized that the integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot aligns with their vision of generative AI, focusing on enhancing efficiency and work delivery. Wong expressed optimism that lawyers would experience significant time savings in routine tasks while improving their work quality.
Microsoft executive Andrew Lindsay echoed the sentiment, expressing enthusiasm for collaborating with Thomson Reuters to expand Copilot with new AI-powered experiences. The goal is to provide support to legal professionals by saving them time and helping them deliver enhanced value to their clients and businesses.
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To demonstrate the integration between Thomson Reuters’ contract drafting solution, powered by its legal products and content, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, a live demo was scheduled at a Microsoft Build event in Seattle. The release of the plug-in is planned for the coming months, subject to Microsoft’s final approval.
Thomson Reuters recognizes the importance of data security and privacy concerns associated with generative AI in the legal profession. To address these concerns, the company assures customers that it will exclusively work with large language models that are not trained on customers’ prompts and data. Their default position is to prioritize customer privacy, ensuring that customer data remains private unless explicitly consented to by the customers.
Thomson Reuters boasts a team of 125 AI engineers and 1,500 trained lawyers dedicated to developing their generative AI products. The company plans to conduct beta testing with a select group of customers to refine and optimize these solutions. While Thomson Reuters acknowledges leveraging OpenAI’s GPT-based technology, they are also exploring various other large language models.
In a related development, Thomson Reuters’ competitor LexisNexis recently entered the generative AI space with the launch of Lexis+ AI. This new platform facilitates case research and document drafting, and LexisNexis has partnered with Microsoft to develop Lexis Connect, an intake application integrated with Microsoft Teams.
By partnering with Microsoft and investing significantly in generative AI, Thomson Reuters aims to spearhead transformative advancements in the legal industry. The integration of AI technology into contract drafting and other legal processes promises to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and deliver higher-quality work. As the collaboration progresses and generative AI continues to evolve, legal professionals can anticipate significant time savings and enhanced productivity in their day-to-day tasks.
