The International Bar Association (IBA) and the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP) have launched a new report titled The Future is Now: Artificial Intelligence and the Legal Profession. The launch was part of activities at a dedicated IBA President’s Morning Keynote Address session with CAIDP Executive Director Marc Rotenberg as the guest speaker, on Thur. Sept. 19th, during the 2024 International Bar Association Annual Conference holding in Mexico City.
The comprehensive report explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the legal profession and offers critical insights into the governance and ethical deployment of AI technologies in legal practice and how they help society. The IBA, which is recognised globally as the leading organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies, says it partnered with the CAIDP, a worldwide network of AI policy experts and human rights advocates, to produce this pivotal report. Their combined expertise underscores the significance of understanding AI’s role in the future of law and law firms.
According to the report, the impact of AI on the legal profession is far-reaching, with implications for the practice of law worldwide and for the governance of AI. The report also emphasizes the necessity for the legal community to stay abreast of technological advancements to maintain the integrity and efficacy of legal practices globally. IBA President, Almudena Arpón de Mendívil Aldama, says: ‘Meeting the challenge posed by AI developments at the legal front, the IBA has assessed and highlighted the crucial role lawyers must play remaining at the centre of governance of technological changes.
AI may not result in opaque systems endangering fundamental rights and values of modern societies. Also, the legal profession needs to embrace AI, understanding and learning how to make use of it, so that legal services may benefit from this amazing evolution.
The IBA is committed to providing ongoing support and guidance to ensure that AI technologies are developed and used in a manner that benefits the legal profession and society as a whole.
