b'25 Local Government Lawyerremains very low. generative AI programmes. risks and likely case outcomes. Local Government Lawyer conducted theSo-called generative AI can create newIn one example of Lexis+ AI, a user asks the two surveys, the first of which surveyed Headscontent, such as text, images, videos, andprogramme: What potential age or disability of Legal (management survey), while theeven music based on requests from users. discrimination claims could be brought second (careers survey) took responses fromThese AI models have been trained onunder the Equality Act 2010 by a 52-year-old local government legal professionals rangingmassive amounts of data and use that trainingemployee with disabilities?.from the legal assistant to the principal lawyerto understand how to respond to usersThe programme then immediately spits out level. requests. a seven-bullet point answer with citations. The research found that just 5% of all legalLocal government lawyers that do use AIIn response to a follow-up question asking departments have adopted AI legal technologyreported using the technology for drafting,what the relevant case law is, the programme in some formwhile nearly half (45%) ofdocument management, legal research,sends over a set of decisions for the lawyer to local government legal professionals remainbilling, and producing new client enquiryanalyse. sceptical about how impactful the technologyforms. At the request of the user, the programme will be. Marketing copy for software likelater drafts an email to the lawyers client However, legal departments are notWestlaw Edge UK and Lexis+ AItwo ofexplaining the possible age or disability claims completely ignoring AI, with 18% ofthe most prominent platformsoftenunder the 2010 Act.respondents to the management surveyanthropomorphises the programmes, goingKaren Waldron, the Director Of Product reporting that their department plans toso far as to describe their technology in oneDevelopment at LexisNexis UK, says the introduce AI soon. Almost two-thirds (60%)instance as a trusted colleague. software was created with simplicity in mind. meanwhile appear to be taking a wait andBut they are not designed to replace A couple of years ago, when we really see approach, reporting that they expect tohuman lawyers completely and are insteadstarted looking at where lawyers find the most deploy the technology at some point but haveangled towards saving time on otherwisepotential [in the technology], what they were no concrete plans. menial tasks. saying was they could see the potential for AI Westlaw and LexisNexiss offerings canin legal research, drafting and in document How legal AI worksand what it offers review documents and contracts, conductwork,she recalls.In private practice, where AI is becominglegal research, automate document drafting,So weve built the features around that commonplace, lawyers are oftentimes usingand provide predictive analysis on litigationand to supplement the content thats already'