[Me & X] AI for contracts
X: Any thoughts on using AI for contracts?
Me: By that, I assume you mean large language models? Since these are probabilistic language systems optimised for coherence rather than truth, I'd advise caution. I would suggest consulting the legal informatics community, which has been industrialising aspects of law for decades. However, even in that space you have to be careful to avoid the tech determinism crowd that demand that the latest technology will and should drive institutional change. There are many paths to industrialisation.
X: But you say yourself that industrialisation of technology does change practice. What's different?
Me: Nothing is different. For over 20 years, I have said (and demonstrated) that technology and practices evolve but such change is not absent of the social systems that surround it. These can take considerable time to alter. For example, management practices (as opposed to technology practices or even technology adoption) can take 30-50 years to replace past methods with new.
X: Any pointers on who to talk to?
Me: Find Meng Weng Wong, that's who I would talk with. We had long conversations on this subject back at Foo Camp. He knows his stuff.
Originally published on LinkedIn.