Legal practitioners globally have been called upon to be part of the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their practices to change with time and not be obsolete. This call to action emerged at the fifth edition of the Legal Business Conference organized by the Legal Business Network International (LBN) under the theme “Innovating for Law and Business: AI and After.
AI transforming the law industry through AI
LBN founder Ifeoma Ben stated that AI is disrupting the business sector and legal practice through the automation of risk management and decision-making processes. According to her, we have to learn how to use AI to develop legal practice as a profession. She highlighted that the conference has been a means to serve society and, from that, contribute to nation-building.
According to Ben, “We are not just creating awareness, but educating lawyers, business people, stakeholders, and policymakers to help shape policy-making.” As lawyers rapidly introduce AI into their practices, she recommended that lawyers become ethics-minded and remain ethical in their work. In addition, she encouraged teachers of law to embrace the trend and educate themselves about AI. Additionally, the Digital Architect Manager of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Falilat Jimoh, speaking on “Innovating for Law and Business: AI and Beyond,” pointed out that the use of AI in law practice would protect client confidentiality, eliminate biases, and would help in the prevention of discrimination if properly programmed, and also promote data security.
AI is no longer a chatter point but a reality. The fact is that those who fail to make use of it may drown in the tide of disruption that the trend comes along with. Through encouraging employers to offer training positions for staff members and stakeholders she highlighted how the process of partnership creation is important.
Innovation in the legal space transformation
The conference speakers maintained that although AI is a new phenomenon, it transforms the work environment and improves the employees’ work. Ikemesit Effiong, the Managing Partner and Chief Researcher of SBM Intelligence, said that AI is a key driving force in innovation and creativity, thus becoming part of not only our personal lives but also our professional lives in a broader way. He noted that AI is changing the business and legal landscape, thereby improving the efficiency of business systems and judicial administration. He noted that the theme showcases the legal profession’s readiness for changes and embrace of tomorrow.
According to Effong, “This forum helps Nigerians understand that the rollout of AI in our lives is not chaotic and disruptive.” Through the forum, Effiong believes Nigerians will discover AI to be orderly and not disruptive. However, it will also reveal to them how to deploy the technology currently, as the field is growing at a fast pace. Co-founder of BOC Legal, Johnson & Wilner, Rotimi Ogunyemi, posited that AI technology should advance to adapt to data protection and privacy standards. “Artificial intelligence dealt with that a lot of data that was the direct opposite to the data protection, “ he stressed the important difference.
AI was generally determined to be the future of legal practice, introducing new possibilities for the field’s development and improving efficiency. However, AI integration is considered a core element of successful legal operations and key to remaining competitive and meeting clients’ and society’s developing demands.
