The AI advantage: Is it time to say goodbye to repetitive work?

Ross McNairn, the CEO and Founder of Wordsmith AI, the main sponsor of the Society’s Annual Conference showcased how AI can save professionals time by streamlining and expediting tasks.

McNairn delivered a compelling presentation at the Society’s 2024 Annual Conference exploring the practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) within the legal sector. Speaking to delegates in the room and online, McNairn shared insights into how AI is reshaping workflows, improving efficiency, and addressing longstanding challenges in legal practice. 

A lawyer-turned-tech leader

McNairn began by sharing his unique journey, from qualifying as a lawyer in Scotland to becoming a technology entrepreneur. After reading law at Aberdeen and practicing with Gillespie Macandrew, he took what he describes as an ‘unconventional turn’ and transitioned into software engineering, eventually becoming a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for multiple tech companies. A year ago, he returned to Scotland to co-found WordSmith AI, a company focused on building AI tools specifically for lawyers.

“We’ve been building WordSmith AI right here in Scotland. We’re proud of creating this in Leith, which has become a hub for innovative companies,” McNairn noted, referencing local success stories such as Skyscanner, also based down in the ‘California of the North’.

WordSmith AI has already gained international traction, working with major in-house legal teams, large law firms, and global investors, including Index Ventures and General Catalyst. These partnerships demonstrate its growing credibility in the tech and legal spheres.

AI in the legal zeitgeist

McNairn explained that Gen AI only really entered the public consciousness in recent years, particularly with the rapid adoption of tools like ChatGPT, which achieved in five days the user adoption it took Netflix three and a half years to reach. This acceleration has made AI an unavoidable topic for lawyers, raising both opportunities and concerns.

He addressed common fears head-on: “Am I going to lose my job? Is a lawyer going to be completely replaced by some computer? The cheat code is: no”.

Drawing parallels to past technological advancements, such as the introduction of the word processor, McNairn argued that each innovation has ultimately increased demand for legal services rather than reducing it. “From the 1960s to now, the per capita number of lawyers has doubled,” he stated, highlighting how technology improves accessibility to legal services.

McNairn then added that he thinks of the legal profession and access to justice, much like mobile internet. Remarking: “the more available you make it, the easier it is for people to consume the services that you produce, the more they want it.”

Noting however, that there have been some major changes in the way the profession works, namely in-house teams, with the volume of those undertaking that work, being notably different 56 years ago. McNairn concluded by stating: “when you're in-house, you have a completely different set of stakeholders, and pressures, and communications, and there's a different demand on efficiency.” Wordsmith AI cater for all lawyers, but they do have some specific modules that help those in-house.

Practical applications of AI

McNairn divided AI’s practical applications into three levels, illustrating each with examples directly relevant to legal practice:

Level 1: Productivity tools
AI excels at automating sometimes tedious, often repetitive tasks, such as extracting key data points from lengthy legal agreements. Using a 200-page service agreement as an on-screen example, McNairn contrasted the manual approach, which involves laborious skimming, with AI’s ability to quickly extract relevant details into structured tables. “For the eagle-eyed among you, the AI includes citations linking back to the source document,” he noted, underscoring the tool’s accuracy and transparency.

He emphasised that legal AI differs significantly from general-purpose AI like ChatGPT, as it is designed to handle sensitive, confidential information and remain grounded in fact. This ensures compliance with the rigorous standards required in legal practice.

Level 2: Assistance tools
Assistance-level AI is ideal for summarising complex information and generating drafts. For example, McNairn demonstrated how AI can process a chain of emails and draft engagement letters based on extracted details. “Many lawyers never get around to issuing these because of the friction or delay involved. AI removes that barrier,” he explained.

He also showcased AI’s multimodal capabilities, such as converting handwritten notes or spoken dictation into structured Word documents, simplifying previously manual processes.

Level 3: AI agents
AI agents represent a more advanced application, capable of integrating multiple steps in a process. McNairn demonstrated how WordSmith AI can analyse a legal agreement, identify key concepts, and export insights into a marked-up Word document. “This isn’t something you’d send directly to a client,” he cautioned, “but it gives lawyers a solid first draft to refine”.

He described this as a shift in the lawyer’s role, from being the primary author to becoming an editor, enabling professionals to focus on higher-value tasks.

The broader implications

McNairn emphasised the simplicity and efficiency AI brings to legal workflows. He described AI as a “language interface,” far more intuitive than traditional software tools, allowing lawyers to interact with it naturally. This simplicity reduces training costs and eliminates the need for multiple software solutions, consolidating functionality into a single platform.

By automating mundane tasks, AI allows lawyers to focus on substantive legal work, improving both productivity and job satisfaction. “Which would you prefer: dropping a document into AI for instant conversion, or struggling with monstrous configuration settings?” he asked delegates.

Engagement and collaboration

McNairn concluded by inviting attendees to explore WordSmith AI’s offerings, either at their exhibit or through their website. He highlighted the company’s commitment to transparency and collaboration, particularly with local legal professionals.

“We’re incredibly open to working closely with anybody interested in this,” he said, encouraging direct engagement to better understand the platform’s capabilities.

Written by Rebecca Morgan, Editor.