FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT LEGAL RESEARCH FROM SEPTEMBER
GPT-Legal will be launched at TechLaw.Fest 2024, as SAL inks new collaborations with IMDA and AI Singapore
Mr Kenta Kusano, Chief Executive of LawNet Technology Services, presenting a demonstration of GPT-Legal at ATx Singapore
BY MATHANGI ELANGOVAN
Ever trawled through an unreported judgment only to find that it’s not that relevant to your case after all? That may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new feature on LawNet that provides helpful summaries of more than 15,000 unreported judgments. At a glance, you’ll see the catchwords, facts and holdings related to each case, just as you would in the summaries of reported judgments. With these, you can quickly make that all-important decision: read more or move on?
These summaries will be generated by a GenAI tool that SAL has developed with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). Known as GPT-Legal, it will make legal research more efficient when it is launched on LawNet at TechLaw.Fest 2024.
SAL and IMDA have signed an MOU and will work closely with each other to develop GPT-Legal
As with any GenAI tool, GPT-Legal should be used with caution. Fortunately, the following guardrails are in place, allowing you to use GPT-Legal's output with confidence:
- Trained on LawNet data so it understands the nuances of Singapore law
- Parts of the summary that are poorly substantiated by the source will be flagged—so use these with caution!
- Corresponding paragraphs will be highlighted to make it easier to cross-check against the source text
- Each summary comes with an accuracy score, so you can assess how much you should rely on it
Sample of how a summarised text will be reflected on GPT-Legal
SAL members who previewed GPT-Legal at ATx Singapore this week were impressed with these features. “We so often hear of the risks of AI hallucinations,” said Ms Cheryl Seah, Director of Corporate & Finance at Drew & Napier LLC. “But now that we can mitigate these risks, such solutions can be deployed on a bigger scale. I believe GPT-Legal sets a foundation where everyone can be very comfortable with using GenAI in their legal work.”
READY FOR GenAI
Some SAL members like Ms Gladys Chun, General Counsel of the Lazada Group, have already made GenAI part of their every day, even before the introduction of GPT-Legal.
“As lawyers, we sometimes slip into lawyer talk, and it may not be the most effective way of communication with non-lawyers. In turn, this may create tension or sometimes burn bridges. So, I advocate my team to leverage on GenAI to sharpen their communication style; when they feel angry, upset or annoyed with someone, they should feed their prompt in the language model and get it to reword their thoughts to sound more human,” she added with a laugh.
Indeed, she’s not alone on this front. According to one study, more than six in 10 lawyers used AI for legal research. That number is set to rise with the rollout and future applications of GPT-Legal.
In view of these trends, SAL has also partnered AI Singapore on a new certification scheme to recognise lawyers with specialist knowledge in responsible AI. Members with expertise in global regulatory, ethical, governance and privacy issues surrounding AI will also be recognised. Details of the scheme will be announced soon.
SAL and AISG will also work together to develop AI engineers specially trained to support the legal profession.
Interested in collaborating on GPT-Legal? We’re looking for partners who can help train GPT-Legal to do more—by either providing training data or human feedback on its outputs. We're also looking for LegalTech partners interested in integrating their products with GPT-Legal. Register your interest here.
Sign up for TechLaw.Fest 2024 here.
