Law Society announces new AI strategy

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The Law Society of England and Wales has announced its new AI strategy, which is based on three pillars: innovation, impact and integrity.

Central to the strategy is integrity, which aims to ensure that AI is being used responsibly and ethically to support the rule of law and access to justice. Led by the three pillars, the Law Society wants to “make sure the legal profession is and remains an authoritative voice on AI that not only impacts the profession, but also the UK economy”.

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The strategy comes after the Law Society responded to the UK government’s AI regulation white paper and published an essentials guide to generative AI.

As AI continues to develop at a rapid pace, with new possibilities and challenges ahead, Law Society President Richard Atkinson explains that the goal is to support members to “navigate and benefit from the new AI landscape”.

Speaking on the three pillars, Atkinson added: “Within these three overlapping themes, we recognise that different solicitors and firms of all sizes have wide-ranging interests, experiences and expectations around AI and other existing digital tools and emerging technologies. The Law Society is committed to supporting all solicitors and the whole legal sector to provide first-rate services to their clients.

“We will continue to influence, lead and shape regulatory and policy positions on AI for the legal sector and widen our resources to help firms identify and address the risks of AI to best serve public interest.”

The professional body for solicitors also outlined its plans for the coming months, explaining that it wants to:

• continue to influence, lead and shape regulatory and policy positions on AI for the legal sector;
• widen its resource offering to identify and address the risk, challenges and ethics that come with the use of AI; and
• publish reports about AI’s impact on its section members and area of law.