In Cybersecurity Law & Strategy‘s end of 2023/look ahead to 2024, we asked experts if we are approaching AI overload and if it’s overhyped. The answers were mixed, but those who didn’t think so might change their minds if they were at Legalweek. As expected, Legalweek was AI heavy, both in the exhibit hall and in the conference sessions. The answer to the above question in the look ahead article that comes to mind is this one, from Richard Robbins, Epiq Managing Director, Applied Artificial Intelligence:

The last year has been dominated by fascination with technology and consideration of what it might be. It has been time for initial experiments. Now we will learn from those experiments and for the leaders, move to adoption. We need to focus less on technology for the sake of technology and get back to the problems we want to solve.

It’s time to stop the hype, stop talking up AI as if it’s the next best thing since sliced bread and prove that it’s a useful tool and technology that can actually be used in the actual practice of law. As we have seen the industry mature and get more involved and educated about AI, not many people still think that AI will replace lawyers, the idiom has changed to “lawyers who use AI will replace those who don’t.”

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