U.K. Lawyers Discuss Generative AI in E-Discovery

FTI Technology recently hosted an interactive AI event with lawyers from across industries and disciplines in the U.K. legal industry. They shared their perspectives on generative AI in e-discovery in the near term. Their insights included:

“One of the most exciting things with generative AI in practice is the use of optical character recognition enhancements. The ability to quickly extract clear and accurate meaning from illegible texts is going to create significant efficiencies. Over the course of my years practicing, I’ve spent excessive time trying to decrypt handwritten notes that were difficult to read, so the power of AI to do that is incredible. Generally, as this technology becomes more mainstream, it’s going to be important for lawyers to collaborate and come together to exchange ideas and pitfalls — that’s the only way we’ll all get ahead.” – Melina Efstathiou, Head of Litigation Technology, Eversheds Sutherland

“I’m currently the most interested in how generative AI will change e-discovery and offer efficiencies in document review. Beyond those initial opportunities, there are many applications we have yet to discover that have the potential to make important impacts across the EDRM.” – Bryant Isbell, Managing Director, Global E-Discovery and Data Advisory, Baker McKenzie

“My colleagues and I are excited about the possibilities. We’re using generative AI in upcoming discovery exercises to support cleanup with large volumes of PDFs. We’re also looking at the challenges of crafting prompts and how to engage with the technology while being alert to the potential costs in comparison to the cost savings our clients need. We’ve been working to formulate a strategy to conduct discovery exercises more quickly and cost effectively, as well as to validate that it’s more accurate.” – Nick Soper, eDisclosure and Investigations Counsel, Peters & Peters

“Data is ever increasing, so there are plenty of use cases where generative AI could help. As a technology person, it’s exciting to look ahead. Spreadsheet analysis is one specific use case that I’m particularly interested in, as well as the integration of generative AI tools into e-discovery platforms — that’s something that will be valuable. We have a lot of learning to do, there are many areas for development and we must think about the risks, but that said, generative AI is the future.” – Falak Kathuria, eDisclosure Project Manager, Slaughter & May

“AI in legal services continues to be on an evolution, not a revolution. [Soon] there will be more clarity on how people are actually using AI, and we will start to see some changes to workflows and outputs, allowing us to deliver to clients in a better way. The best thing for all of us to do is get our hands on as many applications and test cases as possible, and speak with colleagues to understand their concerns, needs and use cases. This will help tailor the technology to specific client needs. Generative AI offers an opportunity to approach e-discovery in a better way — it’s not a silver bullet, but can be placed in the right way to increase efficiency and effectiveness.”– Tom Whittaker, Director, Burges Salmon

“There are many potential capabilities within generative AI, but I’m still wary of the cost of the current features and their practical uses. I’m excited but ambivalent of how we’ll use them in certain cases and make clients comfortable with treading into new waters. One thing on my hotlist is getting prompts right, because in current iterations, that’s key for making sure the tools we have with give the right results for the case.” – Natalie Armstrong, Associate, Clyde & Co

“In e-discovery, we’re just at the beginning of the curve with generative AI. It’s an interesting prospect in litigation, because in addition to thinking about how AI will bring efficiency gains, there are also a lot of risk areas, potential problems and potential for disputes. So, we’ll see more of that side of the coin in the years ahead as well. In terms of using generative AI in e-discovery, education is key, learning more of the detail of the products, how they can be used, what AI actually is, and what it can and can’t do.” – James Matthews, Managing Associate, TLT

Moving ahead, legal teams are going to face challenges in upskilling their workforce in a meaningful way, especially as change will continue to occur quickly. Understanding general trends and skills applicable in the age of generative AI will be essential, and learning programmes will remain relevant to help practitioners keep pace with disruption. 

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The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of FTI Consulting, its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals.