Can AI Be More Persuasive Than a Human Lawyer?

May 13, 2025

A captivating study reveals that AI bots are far more persuasive than human lawyers, even convincing Reddit users with ease. As AI technologies like OpenAI’s O3 reshape legal argumentation, the hosts delve into how these advancements challenge traditional advocacy. They discuss the evolving role of memory-enabled AI in legal workflows and highlight the dangers of AI bias in generated content. With clients and judges likely utilizing AI, the podcast poses critical questions about the future of law and the necessary adaptations for legal professionals.

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ANECDOTE

AI Recorder Helps Meeting Prep

Bridget McCormack shared her experience exploring an AI recorder tool that captures and organizes meeting transcriptions.
ChatGPT helped her analyze and decide the best setup for a large workshop, dramatically easing her preparation.

INSIGHT

Voice Mode Enhances Legal Learning

Voice mode AI reveals different learning preferences compared to writing.
Jen Leonard finds talking aloud boosts her understanding more than writing, a potential shift for legal learning.

INSIGHT

Advanced Reasoning Models Emerge

New reasoning AI models like OpenAI's O3 demonstrate agentic capabilities by choosing the best tools to answer queries.
They can perform multimodal reasoning, including image interpretation and real-time coding, enhancing user interaction.

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In this episode, Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard explore a mind-bending new study where AI bots outperformed humans in changing people’s minds on Reddit — by a long shot. What does this mean for the legal profession, where persuasion is core to the craft?

From evaluating reasoning-first models like OpenAI’s new o3 and Google’s Gemini 2.5, to watching AI walk through logic, fix math errors, and even critique your work with a little snark, Bridget and Jen break down the rapid advancements redefining competence and advocacy in real time.

They also share how memory-enabled AI is reshaping their workflows, the rise of “AI bias” in AI-generated summaries, and the deep implications for lawyers, clients, and law students alike. If AI can generate more persuasive legal arguments — what’s left for us? And how should law schools adapt?

Episode Highlights:

3:54 - AI Aha! Moment: AI Spots Your Blind Spots and Helps You Improve

14:52 What Just Happened: Are We Already Living with AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)?

25:55 -Why AI Wins More Arguments Than Lawyers

Key Discussion Points:

What the Reddit persuasion study reveals about AI’s rhetorical superpowers.
How AI memory and voice interfaces are transforming legal workflows and personal insight.
Why lawyers should expect clients, co-counsel, and judges to already be using AI.
The double-edged sword of AI hallucinations in reasoning models — and how to prompt around them.
Real-world use cases for AI-enhanced persuasive strategies in law.
The future of legal education: How schools might teach persuasion differently in an AI-first world.
Why lawyers may soon be responding to AI critiques of their own work product.

Keywords

AI persuasion, legal tech, reasoning models, ChatGPT memory, AGI, OpenAI o3, Gemini 2.5, Change My View study, AI hallucinations, legal argumentation, law school innovation, client communication, negotiation, voice mode AI, ElevenLabs, HeyGen, RAG, future of lawyering, professional skills, Reddit bots, rhetorical strategy, legal ethics

About the Podcast

2030 Vision: AI and the Future of Law is your essential guide to how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal profession. Hosted by Bridget McCormack and Jen Leonard, this podcast dives into cutting-edge AI technologies, their applications, and the trends shaping the future of law. Join us to stay informed, inspired, and prepared for the AI revolution.

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