UK Judge Commends AI-Powered Chatbot for Legal Summaries
In a groundbreaking move, a distinguished UK court of appeal judge has utilized ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot, to summarize a legal topic. Lord Justice Birss, renowned for his expertise in intellectual property law, expressed his satisfaction with the AI-driven chatbot, deeming it jolly useful after it provided him with an excellent summary of a specific legal area.
Speaking at a symposium organized by the Law Society, the British judge acknowledged the immense potential of generative big language models. He highlighted the ability to request these models to summarize information, emphasizing its usefulness and widespread adoption. Lord Justice Birss confirmed that he has personally utilized ChatGPT, underlining the fact that he independently verified and approved the findings, assuming complete personal responsibility for the substance of his decisions.
This marks the first instance of a British judge employing ChatGPT to support a ruling in a court case. It is important to note that judges using ChatGPT are not bound by any official instructions from the Judicial Office.
Earlier this year, a Colombian judge drew attention worldwide when they sought assistance from ChatGPT in evaluating whether a handicapped child’s medical insurance should cover associated therapy, as reported by The Telegraph. This, in turn, sparked a global discussion on the integration of AI into judicial systems.
On the other hand, two lawyers in New York faced penalties for using ChatGPT to aid with a legal matter. While handling personal injury litigation against the airline Avianca on behalf of a client, Steven Schwartz and Peter LoDuca, from the Manhattan legal firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, supplied a legal document containing forged case references.
District Judge Peter Kevin Castel accused them of making false and misleading statements to the court, acknowledging that utilizing trustworthy AI technologies for assistance was not inherently inappropriate. However, he reprimanded the attorneys and their firm for failing to fulfill their professional duties. The lawyers had submitted fabricated legal opinions, incorporating artificial intelligence-generated quotations and citations, persisting in their support of these opinions even when the validity was cast into doubt by legal orders.
While ChatGPT and other AI technologies offer numerous benefits, there are also potential drawbacks. An article by Cryptopolitan highlights the concern of AI hallucination, where the AI may provide inaccurate or deceptive information. Law firms, fearing client confidentiality breaches and the generation of erroneous legal material, have sometimes been reluctant to utilize ChatGPT.
In contrast, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, collaborated with Magic Circle business Allen & Overy to create their AI chatbot named Harvey. Designed to automate operations like contract preparation, Harvey undergoes human review to ensure accuracy and dependability.
As the legal industry continues to explore the possibilities and limitations of AI-powered tools, the utilization of chatbots and language models raises pertinent questions about their influence on legal proceedings. ChatGPT undoubtedly possesses significant potential but must be applied judiciously and ethically, with human oversight to ensure the integrity and reliability of legal assistance.
In conclusion, Lord Justice Birss’s endorsement of ChatGPT serves as a testament to the capabilities of AI-powered chatbots in the legal field. The integration of technology into legal proceedings can enhance efficiency and accessibility, but it also necessitates careful consideration to maintain the highest standards of justice and fairness.
