Got the AI bug? Eager to work out how to exploit the latest tech for a sharper competitive edge?
We asked Nerika Maharaj (Data, privacy and compliance specialist) and Chris Hathaway (Co-founder of Cloud Essentials and cloud technology expert) for their thoughts on the power of AI and how transformative it will be to the legal industry. Continue the conversation at the Cloud Essentials’ stand at the Legal Innovation & Tech Fest on 6-7 November.
Nerika: We’re hearing a lot about AI and the potential opportunities are exciting for knowledge-based industries, like legal. The ability to have modern tech do routine aspects of due diligence, or write first drafts of contracts and correspondence could free up time to do higher value work. But, it’s easy to see that there are plenty of risks associated with AI, and generative AI in particular. All the current discussion points about ChatGPT and what data it is trained on, become very pertinent in the context of client data within a law firm. It can be hard to know whether to be excited or scared.
Chris: The hype certainly swings from ‘AI will change the world for the better’ to ‘the robots are going to take over’. I’ve spent my career in technology and at the forefront of the cloud revolution. Cloud platforms have opened up new business opportunities and dramatically changed how we work, but we can’t forget that the move to the cloud has also increased opportunities for cyber attacks and cyber crime, so there are always risks to mitigate when new technology is adopted. I started my career in risk management, so I’m good at taking a balanced view. Personally, I’m excited by the potential of AI to transform our working lives.
Nerika: So where do you start with working out what AI could do for your law firm or legal team? There are going to be lots of companies exploiting the technology that is being developed, but how do you know who to trust? I read a quote from Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science at University of California, Berkeley that “there are more regulations on sandwich shops than there are on AI companies”!
Chrs: It’s true – there are likely to be some new entrants into the market who will build amazing solutions that exploit AI. They will need to be tested to build trust, and that will take time. However, it makes sense to look at using what you’ve got and getting the most out of it. With Microsoft providing the backbone for many law firm and corporate IT platforms, I’ve focused my time on how Microsoft are building AI-powered tools into their applications. I’m often talking to clients about how Microsoft licences can feel like a big investment, but it’s always worth making sure you’re getting the most of what Microsoft have to offer. Microsoft’s tools are industry-leading in many areas including email security, compliance and document management, so there are good reasons to consolidate into the platform from a cost and efficiency perspective. And when it comes to AI, there are lots of projects that Microsoft are working on, from AI-powered Bing, to a tool that helps developers write better code, faster. However, it’s the AI assistant that works within Office, Microsoft 365 Copilot, that looks most interesting to knowledge workers. There’s real potential to boost productivity and creativity if used correctly and it offers the opportunity for organisations to harness and use their collective ‘knowledge’ that lives in their content for the benefit of the business.
Nerika: You’re definitely bringing me round to an exciting vision of the future, however the risk-averse compliance side of my personality can’t help but worry about the risks involved with an organisation’s content being used in this way. I imagine many in the legal sector will have the same concerns.
Chris: It’s definitely not something that a law firm or corporate would want to dive into, without a clear idea of the business case and some prep work to make sure their house is in order. My main message to clients who are interested in these early days is to focus on your content. Content will be the cornerstone of your AI strategy, and the success or failure of an AI proof of concept will hang on your content. The old phrase ‘garbage in, garbage out’ is all too true in this context – if you train your AI models on out of date, incorrect or irrelevant data, you won’t see the results you’re hoping for. Data governance processes and activities are part of IT housekeeping that will grow in importance as AI tools start to surface organisational knowledge on demand.
Nerika will be talking about Microsoft 365 Copilot at the Legal Innovation & Tech Fest on 6-7 November as she explores how it works, the opportunities it Don’t miss our factsheet, with curated links to helpful resources covering all aspects of AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
About the speaker:
Nerika Maharaj is a seasoned compliance specialist with an unwavering passion for privacy compliance, securing data and guiding businesses to success. She’s able to bridge the gap between regulation and technology. Nerika worked for two decades in legal fields, data privacy and cyber privacy consultancy before joining Cloud Essentials, where she is their compliance lead, focused on helping clients to maximise the potential of their content in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, without compromising data compliance and enabling robust knowledge administration. Pragmatic, a proactive advocate championing the cause of data security and governance, she’s also able to speak the language of I.T. to help encourage cross-business collaboration.