Research Assessment #4

Date: October 27, 2017

Subject: Corporate Law, with an emphasis on Intellectual Property

MLA or APA citation: Thomson Reuters, 10-11-2017, "Ready or Not: Artificial Intelligence
and Corporate Legal Departments," Above the Law,
https://abovethelaw.com/?sponsored_content=ready-or-not-artificial-intelligence-and-corporate-
legal-departments

Analysis:

As this week I discussed the role of artificial intelligence on the law during an interview, I
thought it would be pertinent to do a bit more personal research on this idea. The article I
particularly came across discussed corporate lawyers’ knowledge of artificial intelligence
currently. In fact, corporate lawyers are generally well knowledgeable about this concept, though
they still would like to learn more. The results were certainly interesting and allowed me to
reflect on pursuing this career as a whole.

Over half of the respondents in the survey came from legal firms with fewer than six attorneys. I
was intrigued by this statistic at first, however it makes sense upon consideration. Logically, it
would make sense for smaller firms to be able to narrow in and focus on gaining insight on
certain topic areas. A larger firm, on the other hand, may be too operationally spread out for all
the attorneys to be on the same pace in terms of learning new technology. Then again, there are
immense firms such as IBM who specialize in developing sophisticated autonomous technology
with the help of in house counsel, so there are exceptions.

Next, the article interestingly enough listed some basic terminology in regards to artificial
intelligence. Among the terms included were “algorithm”, “machine learning”, and “natural
language processing”. This caught my eye, because I was actually already aware of all the terms
listed. Since I came to this realization, I feel like I am on the right pathway in terms of being
knowledgeable and insightful of my career and the world around me in general.

Upon consideration of this article, I realize the various intersections of artificial intelligence and
the law that will arise. For one, the development of competing technology will become a strong
issue in the patent area. Additionally, the ethics of self driving cars will arise. Furthermore,
lawyers will have to work with policy makers in determining the level of regulation and data
analysis that takes place with the rise of artificial intelligence. In house legal counsel in
corporations will play an immense role in such developments.
Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that corporate legal departments will be looking for
individuals well aware and knowledgeable about the new innovations that arise. If an individual
is seeking to succeed in the field of intellectual property law, they will have to have a strong
basis of the technology itself and an idea of how to interpret the law in regards to it. As the
article discusses how current lawyers are already quite familiar with developing technology, I
can only imagine that future attorneys like myself will be required to be insightful on another
level.

(Article on next page)

Ready or Not: Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Legal Departments

Lawyers have long been characterized as technology Luddites who are slow to change and
wary of innovation. For corporate counsel, though, this stereotype may be fading.

By THOMSON REUTERS Oct 11, 2017 at 10:30 AM

Lawyers have long been characterized as technology Luddites who are slow to change and wary
of innovation. For corporate counsel, though, this stereotype may be fading. According to the
results of a new Thomson Reuters report, “Ready or Not: Artificial Intelligence and Corporate
Legal Departments”, corporate counsel believe they are tech savvy but acknowledge that their
comfort level and confidence with technology have limitations, specifically around artificial
intelligence (AI).

The applications and impact of AI are growing, and AI tools will undoubtedly affect how the
legal profession practices over the next decade. Consider how dramatically technology
inventions have already changed the practice of law: From typewriters to computers and from
fax machines to email, each advance has been transformative in the law. Lawyers have accepted
and adopted each of these evolutions. AI is the next frontier.
To better understand corporate counsel’s knowledge of and comfort with the use of artificial
intelligence in the profession, Thomson Reuters conducted a survey of 207 in-house attorneys to
measure current perceptions regarding the use of AI in corporate legal departments and the
perceived benefits of AI once adopted.
EXCERPTS FROM THE REPORT
Current Perceptions Of AI: General Use And Adoption
Corporate counsel’s perceptions around AI range from positive to skeptical to unaware, with
most in the latter categories. The survey initially asked about comfort levels with mainstream
technologies within legal departments.

Of the respondents, 51% came from legal departments with fewer than six attorneys, 14%
worked in departments with six to 10 attorneys. Respondents’ roles in their departments broke
down as follows: 26% as assistant or associate general counsel, 23% as general counsel, 22% as
counsel, 12% as attorneys, 5% as deputy general counsel, and 12% as “other” roles.

Six key terms in artificial intelligence

Developing a better understanding of AI starts with getting to know the language. This brief
primer can help corporate counsel become more familiar with the basics of this technology.
Algorithm: A formula or set of rules for performing a task; AI software uses algorithms to make
predictions from the data sets it analyzes.
Artificial intelligence: An area of computer science focused on developing software that can
make decisions, reason, and problem solve.
Bots: Technology that simulates human conversation; also known as “chatbots.”

Deep learning: A type of AI that attempts to mimic the activity of neurons in the human brain in
order to recognize complex patterns in data sets.

Machine learning: The capability of algorithms and software to learn from data and adapt with
experience.
Natural Language processing: The capability of algorithms and software to structure, interpret,
understand, and generate human languages, focusing mostly on written text.