P2P

61 I L T A N E T . O R G T his time last year, no one could have predicted that Generative AI (Gen AI) would be the most-talked-about technology of 2023, yet only a few months into the new year, ChatGPT took the world by storm. It quickly became mainstream with its dazzling ability to answer questions, create and summarize content, and accelerate mundane tasks. The legal industry was no different. Although Large Language Models (LLMs) and extractive AI had been around and in use for years, and Gen AI models were already being evaluated for industry use, ChatGPT skyrocketed our excitement for new Gen AI-powered technologies and potential use cases that would improve the practice of law and make our lives easier. Vendors and law firms began touting their new Gen AI technologies. But all too soon, emerging stories about potential copyright violations, egregious hallucinations, and blatant biases dampened our enthusiasm and made us question its benefits. At Legalweek in March 2023, a three-hour, standing- room-only Gen AI workshop showcased the industry's strong desire for more insights, information, and answers. Since then, various incidents have shown us the potential ramifications and direct consequences of using an unproven AI technology that was not "professional grade." Under normal circumstances, such a negative outcome would permanently disable any other legal technology, not Gen AI. Instead, it galvanized vital stakeholders to develop responsible development and use principles, guardrails, and guidelines that protect attorneys and clients, as well as new strategies to create trustworthy AI experiences. By the end of 2023, Gen AI's momentum and outlook were as strong as ever. So, where is Gen AI headed in 2024 and beyond? History has shown that lawyers want friction-free, easy- to-use, streamlined, and interconnected applications. We believe that 2024 will herald the rise of secure, domain-specific, integrated Gen AI solutions that deliver unprecedented increases in efficiency, productivity, and knowledge, and empower attorneys and clients to achieve their business and legal objectives. Current Gen AI Challenges Taking a step back, it's essential to understand that while developments are accelerating to meet the demand, delivering secure, domain-specific, integrated Gen AI solutions will not happen overnight. Many obstacles must be conquered – on both the model development and technology delivery side – to achieve this goal. Separately, there's the question of which models to use for which use cases – as no one model currently under development exceeds performance expectations for all tasks. And then there's rebuilding trust among wary attorneys, clients, and judges. As we've seen, LLMs are not "professional grade" enough for complex, knowledge-worker applications right I L T A N E T . O R G "By the end of 2023, Gen AI's momentum and outlook were as strong as ever."

• Cover