The Legal sector is looking to the future. For firms that want to stay competitive, this future needs to harness AI. With so many lawyers perusing the market for their ideal AI assistant, Microsoft Copilot has already carved out a significant portion of the industry.
Copilot has a range of capabilities that firms are salivating over. With the potential for innovation and increased productivity, Copilot has a lot of things to offer. These include:
- AI Enhanced Research – Copilot is able to browse databases, cases and statutes for information in a fraction of the time it would take a legal professional to find the same relevant material.
- Document Content Generation and Review – By looking at previous examples and precedents, Copilot can suggest language which ensures that the documents that are being generated and reviewed are fully compliant according to the situation.
- Case Analysis and Prediction – Through analysis of previous case data and information, Copilot can predict the outcome of future cases, allowing you to better prepare.
- Client Management & Experience – Copilot allows you to automate initial client consultations and onboarding processes, improving client experiences and gathering information at a much faster rate.
- Administrative Automation – Finally, by automating standard administrative tasks such as billing, scheduling and correspondents you can save your team’s hours which can be reallocated for higher priority tasks.
With so much value on offer, it’s no surprise that firms are jumping at the opportunity to empower their teams with Copilot. This is especially the case as it seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365 and the applications that professionals use every day, such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
However, diving in feet first with the latest in AI technology without understanding the challenges associated with it is never a good idea. That’s why we’ve broken down the key considerations for Copliot below.
Key Considerations for Copilot
- Data Security
- Process Alignment
- AI Governance
- Inherited Biases
Data Security – The key to any AI technology is data. The same is the case for Copilot. It works by connecting its Large Language Models (LLMs) to your business data in a secure and privacy-preserving manner, which also provides it with real-time access to any content or context it needs.
This is how it’s able to access your emails, calendars, meetings and contacts to provide that extra information to frame all the content it generates or reviews.
While this process seems invasive at first glance the reality is that your data is safe from being used as training material for Copilot’s LLMs and it’s also compliant with all data laws, including GDPR and the AI Act. What’s crucial is that your team understands this.
There’s enough anxiety surrounding AI already, so make sure you cut through the misinformation and communicate how Copilot really works.
Process Alignment – Understanding how Copilot would fit into your everyday tasks and processes is just as crucial as taking the leap and implementing it.
Taking the time to properly scope out Copilot’s role post-installation allows you to organise the appropriate training for your team and also gives you the opportunity to temper expectations so they’re realistic and achievable.
You don’t want to put the cart before the horse so ensure you know how you’d utilise Copilot before you shout about it across your entire firm.
AI Governance – As you’re probably aware there are a lot of alternatives to Microsoft Copilot out there, so making sure your team only uses the one option can be difficult.
This is much easier if you provide comprehensive training and guidance on how to get the most out of Copilot. This not only reduces the number of AI applications your team utilises but will also enable them to get more out of Copilot.
Regular check-ups and rigid governance guidelines also help prevent other applications from sneaking back in and muddling your stack and generated content.
Inherited Biases – Because Copilot utilises your business data to generate content it also inherits the assumptions and rulings that exist within your business. This can lead to biased generations.
To avoid this you not only need to ensure that your materials are devoid of biases during the initial implementation but you need to monitor Copilot to ensure that new biases don’t also emerge.
Copilot is only as smart as your data, after all, so put your data through the wringer; you’ll thank yourself for it down the line.
Lay the foundations for your success
While it may seem like there’s a lot that law firms need to consider before taking the first step and implementing Copilot, the reality is that these actions should be considered the baseline for all businesses.
For too long firms have been approaching emerging tech with a self-tied blindfold, it’s time for these archaic methods to be left far behind. Failing to do the basics always comes back to bite you later.
If you’re looking for support in implementing Copilot across your firm or want to get the most out of your license, then reach out to us at hello@nexian.co.uk and 0121 289 3434.
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