Extract from Gail J. Cohen’s article “Generative AI Is a Top Priority at Canadian Law Firms”
Canadian law firms are serious about gearing up to get the most out of generative artificial intelligence both internally and to serve clients.
Some of the country’s largest firms have multiple teams examining the technology’s impact and opportunities.
Gowling WLG, for instance, has a high-powered task force that includes its national managing partner, national director of innovation and knowledge, chief operating officer, general counsel, leaders of both its advocacy and commercial practices, and others, overseeing the introduction of generative AI into their work.
“As we’ve already seen, it can get you in trouble if you don’t use it right, but it can also be a great opportunity,” said Ginerva Saylor, Gowling’s Canadian director of innovation and knowledge programs. “We want to walk that fine line between reducing, or ideally eliminating, any risk but being able to be part of the opportunities that are out there.”
Borden Ladner Gervais and Osler Hoskin & Harcourt have similar top-level teams guiding AI introduction and all have other groups running pilot projects with different systems and vendors, as well as practice groups and operations teams eyeing how they can integrate it into their areas.
