Tools and technology are constantly evolving to make our lives easier and more efficient. Among the latest artificial intelligence (AI) advancements to blow our minds is ChatGPT. Aside from the simple “wow” factor of using it, ChatGPT has practical implications for how law firms can build their business and improve efficiencies within their practice.
What is ChatGPT?
Released in November 2022 by OpenAI, ChatGPT is a chatbot extraordinaire. Unlike other chatbots that sound, well, rather robotic, ChatGPT has some impressively human capabilities.
The GPT in ChatGPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer and is a language model that relies on a complex architecture to generate coherent text responses, translate texts, and develop personalized content, among other applications.
Users engage with the tool by submitting a prompt for the chatbot to respond to. For lawyers, this could mean anything from asking the bot to assist with research on a case to perhaps even drafting a demand letter.
ChatGPT Limitations
Like all technology, ChatGPT is a tool and users must be mindful of how they use it. Some lawyers may feel rightly skeptical about an AI-driven text response, and there certainly are limitations to what ChatGPT can offer at this stage in development. For example, OpenAI acknowledges that “ChatGPT sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.” Addressing these limitations can be challenging for developers as responses depend on the information available in the dataset’s model.
Nevertheless, ChatGPT’s capabilities are impressive even if the text responses need to be thoroughly reviewed prior to distribution. And its application is incredibly practical. AI technology like ChatGPT can turn a manual task that takes minutes (or more) into an automated response that’s drafted in seconds.
As time goes on, we can expect there will be improvements in ChatGPT as a tool. For now, it does look like a paralegal will be able to use ChatGPT to boost their productivity (ie have ChatGPT draft a document and then manually edit it rather than do both aspects manually).
As you look for ways to increase efficiency in your law firm, tuning into a solution like ChatGPT can offer many benefits. If you have questions about technology at your law firm, give us a call at Honeycrisp.
