Technology experts urge Scottish legal sector to embrace AI

The growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology for the legal sector has been examined at a conference hosted by the Law Society of Scotland.

Legal technology experts told attendees at the annual Legal Tech Conference, held in Edinburgh on 25 June 2024, that the Scottish sector must be willing to adopt AI and other new technologies to succeed.

The conference heard that 75 per cent of “knowledge workers” – which includes professions such as the law – are already using AI, according to the recent Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn.

John Craske, Director of Innovation at CMS, told the conference: “AI systems we’ve got today aren’t great at everything and one might argue that some of them aren’t great at anything in the law. But this is the worst that they’re ever going to be. You do need to experiment.

“We have to think about how we are going to engage with that. It’s the challenges around use cases, people and culture that we need to think about so that we drive those things and help people experiment.”

A following panel session discussed how best to use AI in the legal sector. Brodies IT Director Damien Behan said: “We can see glimmers of use cases where it could be really useful.

“We’re trying it out, seeing what it’s good at, what it’s bad at. Every technology goes through the cycle of hype, followed by disillusionment, followed by eventual productivity.

“One of my catchphrases is, ‘Just because it can’t do everything doesn’t mean it can’t do anything’ and that is really important… Nobody likes change. The biggest problem we have is inertia.”

Speaking after the conference, Paul Mosson, the Law Society's Executive Director of Member Services and Engagement and founding member of the LawscotTech Advisory Board, said: “Artificial Intelligence is on everyone’s lips and comes up in the most surprising conversations. Increasingly we are all asking how it will impact the legal sector, in what ways it’s already used, and what’s next.

“These are big questions and there is no simple answer, but we are all accepting that we need to increase our understanding and knowledge of AI. This is why AI is a key focus of the LawscotTech Advisory Board, which in line with the Law Society's five-year strategy is seeking to help solicitors identify the art of the possible as well as guard against risks.

“That's why we're offering events such as this conference to members at no added cost, to raise awareness of what is out there and why adopting technology is vital to remain competitive.”