"Nearly nine out of 10 legal professionals say they use AI in some capacity ..."

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

If your lawyer was using "AI", would you want to be told explicitly?

[dajb@social.coop]

@neil Depends what for

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@dajb If you feel like expanding, I'd be interested to hear what you have in mind!

[benjamineskola@hachyderm.io]

@neil If nothing else I'd have privacy concerns, same as if my doctor was using it.

[dajb@social.coop]

@neil I mean, I work with organisations and there are things that we explicitly tell them we're using AI for, and things that we don't.

The things that we tell them: we used it as part of our research process.

The things we don't: we used it to make this sound a bit better.

It's all contextual, I guess. If you're adding value to what you offer to clients, and wouldn't feel bad/ashamed if they found out, then there's no issue.

[thorium@social.linux.pizza]

@neil To be fair, I would probably also start looking for a different lawyer.

[diffractie@glitterkitten.co.uk]

@neil In the same way I'd want the surgeon to tell me that if they don't wash their hands.

[mindpersephone@spookygirl.boo]

@neil given the number of cases where folk have got into trouble for AI making shit up, you'd have thought that notoriously risk adverse profession would be less likely to use it. But I guess not.

[noodlemaz@mstdn.games]

@neil d'you mean not the 'client' for you..?

[eviloatmeal@ak.angelstrapped.com]

@neil If I were in a situation where I needed a lawyer, and I found out my lawyer was using "AI", I would run screaming into the sea and hope to drown. I'm certain that would be less painful than dealing with the problems the lawyer was about to create.

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@noodlemaz

No?

Am I misunderstanding?

[sldrant@mastodon.social]

@neil I think for actually writing any legal text it would terrify me but as an additional assistant reviewing text it is maybe acceptable.
Then again, I work in professional IT am where AI is in everything and I'm expected to use it heavily in near everything (and I've found some value out of it, especially sometimes during reviews)

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@dajb

> If you're adding value to what you offer to clients, and wouldn't feel bad/ashamed if they found out, then there's no issue.

My own view is that there are myriad issues with gen AI *irrespective* of whether it is disclosed or not - not disclosing it fully just makes matters worse!

[marcas@mastodon.ie]

@neil Our firm, like most others of its kind, is gaga for AI. As most lawyers are stupid as a bag of hair about even relatively simple tech like word processors, their enthusiasm about AI tells me all I need to know.

I won’t touch the stuff.

[dajb@social.coop]

@neil Well, indeed. Have a look at what @epilepticrabbit and I did with this (see Appendix 2) https://policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/reports/harnessing-ai-environmental-justice

[troed@swecyb.com]

@neil If the results are good I wouldn't have any opinions on how the work gets done.

I had that same philosophy as a manager. If people wanted to work out of a coffee shop I didn't consider that to be my problem as long as they delivered.

Mandating tools - esp. for people I hire - seems a bit strange.

[noodlemaz@mstdn.games]

@neil it's me, I no understand this bit!
"If it is important that your lawyer uses "AI", I'm afraid that I am not the lawyer for you."
Probably... I didn't realise you were a lawyer..?

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@troed

So is your answer that you would not want to be told about it (because, to you, "AI" is just a tool)?

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@noodlemaz

> Probably... I didn't realise you were a lawyer..?

This is a very common reaction.

Most people assume that I am a model, or some kind of international playboy.

Or someone in tech.

[wurzelmann@mastodon.wurzelmann.at]

@neil I'd never hire a lawyer who's using "AI", because how should I trust their expertise and the correctness if their work? No thanks...