The Oklahoma Bar Journal February 2024

A RTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE development dominated dis cussions of technological advance ment in 2023. Judge Scott Schlegel from Louisiana was a speaker at the 2023 Oklahoma Access to Justice Summit. Last year, I noted his conviction that both courts and law firms should embrace text message reminders to reduce failure-to- appear issues. 1 Lawyers want to make certain their clients, espe cially potential new clients, do not miss their scheduled appointments as well as any court appearances. “Embracing AI in the Legal Sphere: A Necessity, Not a Choice,” 2 was the title of Judge Schlegel’s recent post on his Substack account. He explains the inevitability of AI adoption quite well: If there was any lingering doubt about the pervasive role of AI and generative technologies in our professional lives, Microsoft’s recent move to integrate an AI button into their keyboards should dispel it. This is not just a fleeting trend; it’s a clear signal of a future where generative AI is seamlessly woven into nearly

Anyone interested in how tech nology can be used in the judicial system should subscribe to Judge Schlegel’s Substack account 3 to receive his posts by email. Despite the well-publicized ethical issues by lawyers who used AI to draft briefs without attempting to read the cases it quoted (which did not exist), AI will reshape many things in society, including the legal pro fession and the legal system. Why are so many predicting great change for the legal profes sion and legal systems because of this particular technological advance? We’ve survived the advent of many new technology tools, from faxing to the inter net and email. Simply put, these new AI tools do what lawyers do. They receive input in a conver sational format and give output in well-written, persuasive text. Certainly, AI does not just impact lawyers. Do you know how many internal corporate memos are completed and communicated each day? I don’t either. But most of these memos are drafted by humans, and that will not be the case in a relatively short period of time. Knowledgeable employees MORE CHANGE AHEAD

As lawyers and judges, the temptation to view AI as a distant, abstract concept may be strong. However, it’s cru cial to acknowledge that AI is not just a passing fad. We must recognize that the genie is out of the bottle and that AI will reshape the landscape of numerous industries, includ ing our own, over the next few years. Microsoft’s addition of an AI button to its keyboard is a testament to the increasing integration of AI in everyday tools, heralding a future where AI’s presence is ubiquitous. and opportunities. The shift towards AI-enhanced tools is not just about adopting new technologies; it’s about funda mentally rethinking how we approach our work. AI has the potential to make the justice system more efficient, effective, and accessible, but it requires us to be proactive learners so we can understand its capabilities and limitations. We cannot bury our heads in the sand. For the legal profession, this evolution brings both challenges

every product we use, espe cially in the practice of law.

FEBRUARY 2024 | 47

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL