Dr. Sukhvinder Singh Dari, Director, Symbiosis Law School, Nagpur
The world of technology is rapidly evolving and the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been the focal point of these evolving innovations. AI has impacted humanity and managed to impact various aspects of our lives in a positive manner. While most artificial intelligence systems are powered by machine learning, some of them are supported by a simple set of rules that process the information. AI systems have the potential to perform human interaction and they have already started revolutionising the digital world. These advancements have slowly trickled down AI in multiple domains and one such domain is legal education. Indian legal sector has come a long way in terms of the approaches that it has been following to operate in the ecosystem.
The transition began from using typewriters and computers for research purposes and has now come down to using online portals for searching relevant case information. Education institutes have realised the significance of AI and its applications to the legal system that will help in making notable changes in the judiciary system. They have started creating next generation legal research platforms by collaboration with tech startups to go beyond the simple, keyword based research while some of them have already started developing their own AI research labs. Inculcation of AI based softwares will equip students to become smart lawyers by efficiently using these advanced systems and saving up on the long tedious hours of data research and data mining.
Key impacts that Artificial Intelligence will have on the legal profession
Availability of Jobs
With the dawn of Industry 4.0, humans and machines will be able to work hand in hand. Thus, having high end technological capabilities and knowledge can help aspiring law students advance in their careers. Be it starting their own law firm or working for one, they will always be ahead of the race.
Data Analytics which is an important aspect of Artificial Intelligence will continue to evolve simultaneously creating more jobs for data experts and prove beneficial to legal businesses and their stakeholders.
Accuracy in work
AI uses the method of deep learning for studying its data. Therefore, there is no room for errors or inaccuracy. The deep learning technique will improve the efficiency of the law practitioners by getting adequate help in research, reviews and proofreading content. It reduces time as AI provides relevant case laws with just a click, which can be beneficial for assisting judges in order to deliver speedy judgements.
The AI system also classifies and organises data faster, better and cheaper, and augments human intelligence which empowers people to make use of huge amounts of data to make better decisions and tell better stories.
Continuous Learning
Technological evolution is a continuous process and so is its implementation. This makes it essential for students to constantly keep upskilling and updating themselves in order to stay on top of their game. It is crucial to have a multidimensional approach instead of sticking to a unidimensional approach as it helps in expanding one’s horizons. It is imperative for students and professionals, irrespective of their seniority to constantly opt for courses that will help them upgrade their subject as well as technical knowledge.
Gone are the days when law education used to be all about rote learning and theoretical knowledge. It is high time that law schools start preparing their students to be founders of a legal technology startup or even build a career in Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) and Privacy Laws. Despite the high investment that technology demands, we need to embrace it and use it to our advantage by implementing the required legislations to safeguard the interests of the users.
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