Kilpatrick’s Charles Gray recently discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a trend—it can be a game-changer for legal professionals. Mr. Gray’s presentation to the Association of Corporate Counsel’s “IP Network” addressed key issues concerning AI that legal departments need to know - from operational efficiency to intellectual property protection and ethical considerations and walked through real-world examples and strategies on how to harness AI.
Five takeaways from the discussion include:
1. AI is a Mandatory Tool: Artificial Intelligence is now a required tool for modern legal departments to boost efficiency and manage growing workloads with strained budgets. AI allows teams to focus on critical, strategic work by helping to eliminate lower-value tasks.
2. Shift to an "Augmented Lawyer" Mindset: To effectively use AI, legal professionals should view it as a collaborative partner or "junior associate," not just a tool. The output from an AI model should be treated as a first draft that requires expert review and refinement.
3. Corporate America's Adaptation: Major companies are beginning to understand and adapt to the new AI reality. For example, Walmart's CEO has stated that AI will change "literally every job", while Accenture is restructuring to focus on AI skills and plans to "exit" workers it deems cannot be reskilled.
4. Practical Applications in Patent Law: AI offers numerous concrete applications for in-house legal teams, particularly across the entire patent lifecycle. These uses include invention harvesting, assisting in drafting patent applications, analyzing Office Actions, and managing large patent portfolios.
5. Government Adoption of AI: Government institutions are also integrating AI into their processes, as seen with the USPTO's "ASAP!" pilot program. This program uses AI to perform an early prior art search on new patent applications to help improve the quality and speed of the examination process.
