Generative AI in the legal landscape

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LexisNexis® Canada leans on recent survey results to develop tools that will best leverage new technology for Canadian lawyers

A YEAR ago, generative artificial intelligence wasn’t really on anyone’s radar, but a recent survey conducted by LexisNexis Canada, Generative AI and the Canadian Legal Profession, illustrates just how quickly interest has taken off – and reaffirms that LexisNexis is well positioned to meet the demand for this new technology. The results from over 1,952 lawyers, law students, and consumers may not have been surprising – 93 percent of legal market respondents are aware of these tools, with 53 percent of the legal market and almost two-thirds of law students having used or planning to use generative AI for legal purposes, signalling a marked appetite for these cutting-edge technologies – but they were reassuring, says Alan Votary, head of product Canada.

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“It’s really important that we have a solid understanding of what our customers’ needs are, and the survey was the first step in that journey. It’s the first of many conversations with the legal community as we engage them throughout this process”

Alan Votary, LexisNexis Canada

However, he adds, nonprofits have been resilient. “Most of our insureds are not only recovering back to their pre-pandemic state, but are in fact expanding,” he says. Parvathy Sree, vice president of nonprofit underwriting for AmTrust Financial Services, agrees. She says some nonprofits, such as homeless shelters and schools, adapted particularly well to the challenges. “Nonprofits with good management and decent financials were able to survive the last year and are seeing the fruits of their hard work and diligence,” Sree says, but she cautions growing organizations to be diligent with loss control and risk mitigation, emphasizing that while claim counts are down and court cases are in limbo, things could change.

On their Legal AI Hub, LexisNexis Canada published a white paper on ethical guidelines around AI development. It states that their solutions, “both internal and external, enhance human decision-making. This approach is underpinned by our commitment to corporate responsibility, which we define as the way we do business, proactively working to increase our positive impact and prevent negative impact.” For Votary, that means putting security, privacy, and unbiased results at the forefront of what he does. LexisNexis adheres to an ethical approach to the development of AI in general, and that dedication becomes especially critical with generative AI. “It is an incredibly powerful new technology, and it’s important we get it right,” Votary says, pointing to the survey as a way to

LexisNexis has one overarching goal: to make products that are aligned to the customers’ needs, and as it stands, all feedback points to generative AI as a massive opportunity to deliver better, faster, smarter tools to serve the legal market. “For us to see the level of engagement from lawyers looking out for this technology in Canada specifically but also around the world is fantastic,” Votary says, adding that for both LexisNexis and their customer base to be interested in these technologies at the same time “presents a great opportunity for us to be able to help our customers achieve their goals.” “It’s really important that we have a solid understanding of what our customers’ needs are, and the survey was the first step in that journey. It’s the first of many conversations with the legal community as we engage them throughout this process.”

“I think cybersecurity is going to be a challenge for the whole industry and is something that we pay really, really careful attention to”

Pamela Davis, Nonprofits Insurance Alliance

Over the next five years, both Sree and Smith fear that social inflation and large jury awards could impact pricing and risk selection in the nonprofit space. Smith cautions that we’re not out of the woods yet with COVID-19 litigation, which is something Convelo is watching closely. Davis points to cyber as another key issue nonprofits will have to tackle. “I think cybersecurity is going to be a challenge for the whole industry and is something that we pay really, really careful

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Published 23 OCT 2023

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keep all stakeholder considerations in mind. “We know how important it is to the legal community to have solid information to base their decisions on.” The talented teams at LexisNexis are working to best leverage generative AI for users through their global approach to development, meaning products are developed for use in multiple markets concurrently. While customer needs are universally similar, “Canada is somewhat unique and it was important for us to determine via the survey what our customers’ views are to make sure we’re not making assumptions that don’t reflect their beliefs about where this is going,” Votary says. “We are engaged throughout the process for markets around the world, and the views we gathered in the survey are being considered at the outset,” he adds, noting the US launch of Lexis+ AI™, the new generative AI tool they’ve been building out, is the first step, but “we will then look to leverage that for different markets around the globe, including Canada. We’re making sure we’re shaping this as something that will work here as well.”

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Top 5 ways lawyers want to use generative AI

Researching matters

Drafting documents

Writing emails

Analyzing documents

Understanding new legal concepts

61%

57%

45%

40%

34%

“It’s confirmation of many of the things that we thought. Our users are engaged with these technologies, and the lawyers in the Canadian market are aware of the risks and potential impacts – as are we,” says Votary. “We’re in a position to make it happen in a responsible way, linking to the trusted legal content as we look at these tools and helping to eliminate many of the concerns that are out there.”

Survey highlights

of lawyers believe generative AI will increase efficiency

83%

of the legal market believes generative AI will significantly transform the practice of law

51%

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