Rocket Lawyer Releases Generative AI Tool, to Help Business Startups, Built in Collaboration with Google Cloud, Bob Ambrogi, LawSites, December 21, 2023
Rocket Lawyer released Rocket Copilot, a new generative AI feature built with Google Cloud. Rocket Copilot combines AI and human expertise to help customers complete legal documents. The initial release offers an AI business name generator to help entrepreneurs name and form new businesses. Rocket Lawyer says future releases will add more brainstorming capabilities, securely leveraging advanced AI models from Google Vertex AI. The partnership brings together industry leaders to deliver an AI tool that empowers entrepreneurs to take control of legal situations.
Law Firm is Latest to Partner with Legal AI Startup Harvey, Reuters, Sara Merken, September 21, 2023
London-based law firm Macfarlanes has teamed up with AI startup Harvey, following a successful pilot program, to provide its attorneys with a legal AI tool backed by Sequoia Capital and OpenAI's startup fund. Harvey, known for crafting custom large language models for legal firms, will now serve up to 650 Macfarlanes lawyers, assisting in tasks like research, document analysis, and drafting initial emails or memos, with human lawyers reviewing the generated work. This move reflects the growing trend of legal entities engaging with generative AI technologies, as seen with other firms like Allen & Overy, and PricewaterhouseCoopers also adopting Harvey's platform earlier this year.
What I Saw At ILTACON: Casetext, Thomson Reuters, Above the Law, Kenneth Jones, September 19, 2023
The Thomson Reuters (TR) and Casetext $600 million acquisition, formalized on August 17, 2023, is a notable legal tech event of the year. At ILTACON 2023, both companies discussed the future of legal AI, with TR emphasizing its Build, Partner and Buy approach for AI implementation, and hinting at potential product enhancements like "Ask Westlaw". Casetext CEO, Jake Heller, shared an optimistic view on AI’s role in increasing legal professionals' efficiency and envisioned an "AI Legal Assistant" becoming essential in legal practice soon. Both firms hinted at the transformative potential of their union in legal tech, while also acknowledging challenges like hardware limitations for AI advancement.
AI Update: Reuters Closes Casetext Deal, The New York Times Feuds With OpenAI, CFPB Cracks Down On Data Sales, Ethan Beberness, August 21, 2023
Thomson Reuters (TR) has acquired legal tech firm Casetext, known for its AI-driven products like CoCounsel, a legal assistant powered by GPT-4, marking a step in TR's strategy to integrate generative AI solutions in its offerings. Casetext's AI has notably aided the California Innocence Project in enhancing its operational efficiency. Meanwhile, legal tech entities utilizing OpenAI’s models remain undeterred by rising lawsuits against OpenAI, although alternatives might be sought if legal pressures escalate. Amidst this, the New York Times explores legal recourse against OpenAI to safeguard its intellectual property rights. Concurrently, regulatory bodies are eyeing tighter controls on personal data sales, and AI companies are urged to foster public trust to navigate legislative hurdles.
Gunderson Dettmer Launches Internal Generative AI Chat App, Law306, Matt Perez, August 9, 2023
Gunderson Dettmer launched an open-source AI chat application, ChatGD, built on OpenAI's large language model, aiming to boost its in-house legal staff's efficiency in handling documents. The firm emphasized the use of open-source technology and internal guidelines to ensure client confidentiality and accurate filings. The move comes amidst a growing integration of AI in the legal sector, with contrasting outcomes; a notable mishap involved attorneys being sanctioned for relying on AI-generated, inaccurate legal briefs. Despite such setbacks, the firm, along with others, continues exploring AI's potential in revolutionizing legal operations and addressing pertinent legal concerns surrounding AI technology.