Corporate legal departments are actively exploring the potential of generative artificial intelligence, yet the landscape remains experimental. Ed Sohn, the global head of insights and innovation at Factor, a legal consultancy with offices in the US and Europe, emphasized the ongoing process of understanding how generative AI, accessed through various means such as third-party tech products or chat interfaces like Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise, can be effectively integrated into legal workflows.
The Promise of Generative AI in Legal Work
Generative AI holds the promise of transforming legal work by facilitating tasks such as contract drafting, legal briefs, research, and e-discovery. Despite the excitement surrounding its potential, legal departments are still grappling with comprehending its implications. Mike Haven, head of global legal operations at Intel, highlighted the cautious approach, stating that while older AI technologies have been utilized for e-discovery and contracts, generative AI presents newer territory requiring experimentation.
The Sense Collective Initiative
Factor spearheads The Sense Collective, a collaborative effort involving general counsel and legal operations heads from leading companies like Adobe, Ford, Intel, and Microsoft. This initiative, aimed at maximizing the value of AI tools, focuses on discussions regarding optimal utilization, particularly exploring tools like Microsoft’s Copilot. Moreover, it addresses broader questions concerning the impact of generative AI on investment decisions, ongoing initiatives, interdepartmental counseling, and ethical considerations.
Membership and Objectives
The Sense Collective, initially comprising seven member companies, continues to expand its membership. While membership requires a financial commitment, it offers exclusive access to discussions and outputs tailored to the needs of legal departments. The group’s outputs will be limited to members and not commercialized, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the initiative.
Future Directions: RAG Technology
The development of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technology adds another dimension to the discourse. RAG enhances the accuracy of generative AI by drawing answers from a defined set of information, leveraging institutional knowledge effectively. While RAG technology is still evolving, its potential to revolutionize legal processes underscores the importance of ongoing observation and evaluation within The Sense Collective.
As legal departments navigate the complexities of integrating generative AI into their workflows, initiatives like The Sense Collective provide a collaborative learning and exploration platform. By fostering dialogue and experimentation, such initiatives pave the way for leveraging AI technologies effectively in the legal domain.