Participating in the Summit on Legal Innovation and Disruption (SOLID) in Chicago last week was an eye-opening experience for many, including me. Lots of terrific content was presented and discussed among a smart and innovative group of participants, including in-house and outside legal professionals and consultants. The impact of ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence was a recurring theme. My presentation was on the question of when (not if) work currently performed by lawyers and other legal professionals is likely to be replaced by artificial intelligence. Highlights included:

We are alive at an exciting time and have already lived through some amazing technological changes that make us far more efficient. In my case, I started working as a lawyer pre-smartphones, pre-email, and pre-public internet. Those in my generation who are most successful have not just adapted, but have also embraced technological change and the greater capabilities and efficiencies it brings. The first to embrace new technology (with the requisite caution) have the potential to achieve the greatest success.

And the pace of change is still accelerating. Our world will look quite different 5-10 years from now. If you are open to those changes, flexible about changing roles, and willing to learn new skills, then you will continue to be successful. In the meantime, be sure to maintain interests and relationships outside of your work life because it may not be too long before you have a shorter work week and more time to pursue those outside interests!

Source: Reed Smith LLP – David R. Cohen

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