Tracking the Use of Generative AI in the Legal Profession

Allen & Overy integrated generative AI into its practice in November 2022, back when the world barely knew of ChatGPT.  We deployed Harvey, a legal-focused AI built on the GPT-4 engine, to more than 3,500 lawyers across 43 jurisdictions. Many attorneys have integrated the tool into their day-to-day practice. Our Artificial Intelligence Group combines our unmatched practical experience, our subject matter expertise, and our experience advising clients on purchasing, building, and collaborating on AI solutions to counsel clients on emerging AI issues.

Clients and acquaintances frequently ask how the deployment of artificial intelligence will affect the legal industry. We respond with the quintessential attorney answer: It depends. In general, the deep learning language models that are growing in popularity should allow attorneys to do more with less. But much depends on the tool, the use case, and the jurisdiction in question. By way of example, several U.S. judges have already issued orders that limit the use of generative AI in legal briefing, or require special disclosures detailing how any such tools were used.

We will explore this topic in more detail in future posts. For now, here are some links to what our partners have already said on the topic:

• The Risks and Opportunities of ChatGPT (Transcript) a Wall Street Journal conversation with Allen & Overy Partner David Wakeling and Assistant Professor Vikram Bhargava.
• End of the Billable Hour? Law Firms Get On Board with Artificial Intelligence. A Wall Street Journal article quoting Allen & Overy partner David Lucking.
• A&O on Harvey and AI: ‘The Lawyers Would Like it to Stick Around for a While’. A Law.com sit-down with Allen & Overy Partner Daren Orzechowski.
• How lawyers can take advantage of ChatGPT and other large language models disrupting the legal industry. An ABA Journal conversation with Allen & Overy Partner Daren Orzechowski. 
• The Effects of Harvey and Generative AI on the Legal Industry. A podcast with Allen & Overy Partner Daren Orzechowski.
• BBC Appearance on UK Artificial Intelligence by David Wakeling.

For more on substantive questions concerning AI and the law, please check out our Artificial Intelligence Group's page here.