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Get a grip

19 February 2016 / Greg Wildisen
Issue: 7687 / Categories: Artificial intelligence , Features , Profession
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From AI to smart apps: lawyers must forget about the terminology & focus on the bigger picture, says Greg Wildisen

On reflection, 2015 was the year of the birth of artificial intelligence (AI) in law. Some may argue AI received a little too much airplay, especially for those lawyers still undecided about the “robots taking over legal jobs” debate. So much so that some writers are already suggesting the term AI cease being used as it causes confusion. If AI is not the right term, what is?

Broadly speaking, AI is the theory and development of computer systems, which will perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. It’s a broad field ranging from face recognition, through machine learning, to robotics. Robotics arguably has little relevance in law, but certainly there is huge potential for machine learning, legal algorithms, and digital advisers amongst others.

Historically the term “expert systems” was used to describe much of what is known as AI today. But due to the lack of success of these systems in the late

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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