AJ Shankar, Co-founder and CEO of Everlaw, dives into the revolutionary impact of generative AI on the legal field. With a PhD from UC Berkeley, he shares insights from Everlaw's recent summit and the launch of AI tools aimed at streamlining document discovery and trial preparation. Shankar emphasizes the importance of user feedback and transparency as AI reshapes workflows. He also discusses the need for legal professionals to adapt to these technological changes while maintaining critical thinking and data security.
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Quick takeaways
Generative AI tools provide enhanced natural language fluency, transforming the review and analysis of legal documents in litigation.
Everlaw's development of these tools emphasizes user control and transparency, promoting confidence in integrating AI within legal workflows.
Deep dives
The Transformative Potential of Generative AI
Generative AI is expected to be a game changer in the legal field, particularly for litigation and e-discovery processes. This technology offers significantly enhanced fluency in natural language, allowing for better comprehension and analysis of legal documents. Current AI advancements surpass classical techniques, providing valuable augmentations to human intelligence with capabilities like creativity and logical reasoning. The integration of generative AI into workflow processes aims to maximize efficiency and effectiveness, enabling legal professionals to leverage it broadly across various tasks.
Implementing Generative AI in Legal Practices
Everlaw's development of generative AI tools involved extensive beta testing, resulting in a deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the technology. This methodical approach guided the integration of AI features into existing workflows, allowing users to unlock the technology’s value while being cautious of its limitations. The tools developed aim to ensure that legal practitioners can incorporate generative AI seamlessly into their daily tasks, addressing specific needs and user comfort levels. As a result, various users discover individualized applications that align with their workflows and risk tolerances.
Core Principles Guiding Development
The development of generative AI tools at Everlaw is anchored by three guiding principles: control, confidence, and transparency. Users are provided with extensive control over how they utilize AI tools, allowing for a tailored experience that meets their specific requirements. Assurance regarding data security and transparency in AI functionalities builds user confidence when adopting these technologies. By promoting clear communication, employees are encouraged to engage critically with AI outputs, fostering a collaborative engagement rather than relegating judgment to the technology.
Collaboration of Tools in Legal Workflows
Everlaw introduces integrated tools such as the review assistant and writing assistant, which serve as critical elements within the litigation process. The review assistant offers functionalities including document summarization and coding suggestions, allowing for a nuanced review process. On the other hand, the writing assistant aids in constructing narratives and drafting legal documents, streamlining case preparation. This combined approach emphasizes the importance of narrative building and iterative processes, empowering legal professionals to enhance their strategic insights throughout their workflows.
Recently, the Everlaw Summit, the annual customer conference of the e-discovery company Everlaw, convened in San Francisco. In his keynote address there, cofounder and CEO AJ Shankar announced the general availability, after a year of beta testing, of a suite of generative AI features for reviewing, coding and analyzing documents in discovery and litigation prep.
LawNext host Bob AmbrogiI was at the conference, and the next morning, he sat down with Shankar for this conversation about Everlaw’s development of these AI tools and Shankar’s views on how gen AI will impact legal professionals. As you’ll hear him say, he makes no bones about calling it a game changer.
With a doctorate in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley, Shankar founded Everlaw in 2011 as one of the earliest cloud-based e-discovery platforms. He has been on this podcast twice before:
In April 2019, where he discussed the company’s founding and early development.
In November 2021, just after Everlaw became one of the first legal tech companies to achieve unicorn status, or a valuation of over $1 billion.
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Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner).