Copilot for legal - how does it help me?
Microsoft Copilot is likely already available to you, and ready to help with your work. But is it safe, how can it help, and what more can you do with this transformative technology?
Two years ago, in November 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT. It was a seismic shift in AI capability and, by the time GPT 4 was released in March 2023, everyone was starting to notice.
OpenAI promoted ChatGPT 4 with the claim that it came in the 90th centile for the US Bar Exam. However, ChatGPT was not suitable for use in most legal roles. There were serious questions over its data security as well as the risk of it "hallucinating" and giving inaccurate answers. But Microsoft had announced a $10 billion investment in January 2023 and that signalled that generative AI, GenAI, was soon going to be part of everyone's working life.
Copilot was the GenAI product launched by Microsoft . But what is it, and how can it help you?
Copilot is one of the easiest and most accessible forms of GenAI available, particularly for those organisations that work with Microsoft applications. But Copilot comes in different forms. All are useful, but understanding the differences helps highlight the potential for this technology to transform how you work.
- Microsoft Copilot if the basic chatbot which is available online through Microsoft Bing. It is trained on generalised information and so gives generalised answers. It's the nearest equivalent to the consumer version of ChatGPT. It can support research, summarise text and help with basic drafting. However, there's no customisation, and no integrations.
- Copilot Pro (for individuals) and Copilot for Microsoft 365 (for businesses) takes the core functionality and integrates it into the Microsoft applications you use everyday. These integrations allow for meaningful productivity gains as the technology can summarise meeting minutes, draft emails, extract information from documents, and much more. Instead of just relying on generalised information it can be responsive to your organisation's data, and give answers aligned with your priorities and organisational knowledge.
- Copilot Studio allows you to start to build bespoke applications which leverage the AI capabilities of Copilot. These applications can be built fast in a low-code environment, and deployed without complex infrastructure, as they operate within the organisation's existing Microsoft environment. Individual AI apps can be created for particular deals, disputes, or contract review exercises, to respond dynamically to where your team needs support. Critically, these don't require complex procurement processes and lengthy IT implementations. Studio allows you to be agile in how AI can support your team.
What should I do next?
If you have Copilot already, try it. If you have concerns, then check Microsoft's online resources. The concerns around data security and AI accuracy were real and significant in 2023, but a lot has changed, and you may be reassured by the protections that have now been developed.
If you're already using Copilot then explore what more you can do with Copilot Studio. It is unique in its accessibility and the speed at which AI applications can be adapted for individual use cases.
Like anything offered by Microsoft, it will soon become an assumption that everyone is using AI in their work, such as Copilot. It will be like spellchecker. Initially transformative but then forgotten as a part of the everyday tools of our professional lives. It will no longer offer a productivity "gain" it will simply become an assumption, in budgeting and resourcing, that the gain is already available.
Get in touch if you're intrigued. You may want some inspiration on how it can help you, or support in developing a specific application. It does not need to be complicated, or time consuming, and it may just change how you work.
