Unboxing Generative AI for the Legal Professions: Functions, Impacts and Governance

The paper delves into the early impacts of generative AI (GenAI) on the legal sector, its implications for the activity systems of judges, lawyers and litigants, and the values underpinning the administration of justice. Literature analysis is complemented by a survey of the functions GenAI systems offer to law firms, judges and citizens, as well as by assessing the guidelines for the proper use of such technologies in the legal domain. The paper underscores how GenAI is becoming pervasive through specialized applications and its integration into everyday office tools. Such a rapid proliferation of applications has revealed that several of the principles suggested by the guidelines are inadequate in managing GenAI usage and assigning responsibilities to the providers. Users are ultimately responsible and must fully understand and accept the consequences of their use. Therefore, when interacting with GenAI in the legal business, comprehending the systems’ technological features and functioning, including their limitations and potential pitfalls, is the primary safeguard now available. The finding underscores the need for human empowerment to prevent an uncontrolled proliferation of GenAI in the legal business, thereby stressing the importance of human oversight in using AI.