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Seraj:

Do tell us more about this?

Darren:

Legal&Tax’s fundamental purpose is to be a companion. As an authorised FSP, that provides legal expense insurance we offer legal advice to our clients. We started working with AI technology as a way to expand on our service and democratise access to justice in a scalable but at the same time very caring way.

We did this with the help of our development partners from Legal Interact by building on the Open AI / ChatGPT framework and then incorporating the expertise of qualified lawyers at Legal&Tax which means our AI lawyer has guardrails to contextualise and provide answers that align with the South African legal system. But more than that we have built in our culture which assists the AI in assisting our clients with the same care any of our legal advisors would – it’s actually very human, very compassionate.

We knew that it had to be accessible and incredibly user friendly, so we built it into our existing WhatsApp servicing channel. That means that our clients have access to legal help in the palm of their hand 24/7.

Once a client has used it, they can confirm if they are happy with the information the AI lawyer has provided or if they need to speak to a human legal advisor from Legal&Tax. And if they do we will call them back.

Seraj:

How accurate and reliable is an AI lawyer compared to a human lawyer?

Darren:

It’s incredibly reliable. There may be legal precedents or nuances it may not have access to but on the whole the answers it gives are accurate and because we have built in our culture and values, it communicates in a very caring way.

But we don’t believe there is a binary approach. Sometimes humans need to do things and sometimes we can rely on the help of AI, but the human AI partnership provides an incredible collaboration that benefits our clients. The information provided is a guide and should not replace qualified legal advice if required. Before making any legal decisions, we ask our clients to always check in with a Legal&Tax professional.

Our AI Lawyer offers a massive leap forward in finding answers to legal questions in a fast and simple way. Knowledge is power, especially when someone’s legal rights and responsibilities are on the line, and this makes legal information more scalable, immediate, and accessible than ever before.

We trained our AI on labour, family, civil and criminal legal matters. It can be used to ask legal questions, get draft legal agreements, confirm legal processes that should be followed, like for claiming maintenance, provide information to uphold your rights at work, or even provide step by step advice on getting a protection order. These are just a few examples… But when one of our clients needs more help or actual third party legal intervention and dispute resolution assistance, we have a team of human lawyers to back it up.

The amazing thing is it learns and grows. We are constantly training the AI, working to develop the corpus of information it relies on. So that it provides the best assistance possible.

Seraj:

Are there any ethical or privacy concerns associated with using an AI lawyer?

Darren:

From an ethical perspective we are providing access to justice. Democratising legal information empowers individuals and helps them understand not only their rights, but also their responsibilities… but as I mentioned the info provided is a guide and before making any legal decision people should always check in with a Legal&Tax professional.

The AI relies on a vast corpus of information. That’s why we’ve placed guardrails on our AI in terms of South African Law expertise and in terms of our culture of companionship..

From a privacy perspective we make it clear that by using our AI you consent to Legal&Tax processing your personal information. We can see the phone number clients are interacting from, the questions they ask and the answers our AI provides. That being said if our human lawyers were assisting a client they would have access to the same information.

Seraj:

What does the future hold for AI in the legal profession, and how do you see this technology developing over the next few years?

Darren:

That’s difficult to answer. Although I’ve been very involved integrating AI into our business at Legal&Tax, the technology is moving at an incredibly fast pace.

We believe that what differentiates us, or anyone is the purpose that drives them. For us that is being a companion, offering products and services that ensure our clients are never left alone. We view AI as an enabler that helps us fulfil our purpose.

However in order to try and answer your question I can refer to a recent study conducted on 1 500 companies by The Harvard Business Review. It clearly notes that the most significant progress and innovation is achieved when we combine the best of AI and human abilities. Together, humans and machines can solve complex problems and create possibilities that were once unimaginable. Binary thinking that pits human against machine only limits our potential. It also sets humans up for failure at certain tasks, in which we can never compete with the technology. Instead, we need to think creatively and abundantly about how we can use AI to augment our human skills and create a more equitable future for all that combines the best of human and machine, allowing us to excel at what we do best.

As we prepare for the future, we must grow technical skills in tandem with our profoundly human qualities such as emotional intelligence, leadership, collaboration, and creativity. By investing in ourselves and honing these skills, we can prepare a generation of innovators and problem-solvers who are equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world.