Extract from Epiq’s article “The New Era of Legal is Here: Are You Ready?”
The sky is falling! AI is taking the legal industry by storm and lawyers will soon be extinct! This was a common refrain amongst legal professionals in New York last week at the 2023 Legalweek conference. The good news? This is absolutely not true. Although the conference kicked off with a keynote speaker known for his famous role in the renowned sci-fi show Star Trek, we are thankfully not living in a sci-fi universe – even if many lawyers fear that to be the case. The expert panelists at Legalweek assured industry professionals that even the newest technology like generative AI cannot be a substitute for the legal mind. Machines cannot replace a lawyer’s analytical skills or human judgement; however what technology can do is help legal departments automate routine tasks in a more efficient manner and allow legal professionals to concentrate on higher level work.
The legal industry is in a state of disruption – and disruption can be scary. At Legalweek’s annual state of the industry presentation, there were frequent reminders that digital is no longer a choice in 2023. Everyone in the legal community is in some stage of their digital transformation journey. The technology is available today and will continue to evolve, but throughout this journey it is the right combination of people, process, and technology that will be key to successful outcomes. While tech is important and will continue to open new opportunities for legal departments and law firms, it is only a tool, not the end game.
