[Interview] "Developing 'Legal AI' to Enhance Brand Value... More Opportunities Will Open for Lawyers"

Numerous Lawyers Engaged in AI Training
AI Is an Unstoppable Trend of the Era
Adoption Is Inevitable in High-Value Industries

‘(Are lawyers) enemies or allies?’

This is a recurring question whenever innovative services emerge in the legal market. On the 22nd, Legal Times met with Cha Dong-eon (61, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 17), a lawyer at DaeRyukAju Law Firm, and Lee Jae-won, CEO of NexusAI, who participated in the development of ‘AI DaeRyukAju,’ at the DaeRyukAju Law Firm conference room in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to seek answers to this question.

Attorney Cha Dong-eon of DaeRyukAju Law Firm (left), Lee Jae-won, CEO of Nexus AI [Image source=Legal Times]

Below is a Q&A session.

Q. What was the reason for creating the ‘Legal AI Chatbot’?

A. In short, it was to enhance brand value. Numerous lawyers were involved in AI training and significant costs were incurred to create ‘AI DaeRyukAju.’ However, AI legal consultations do not directly lead to cases for DaeRyukAju lawyers. There was internal resistance with comments like, ‘Why should we go through the trouble if there is no concrete benefit?’ Our clients are domestic and international large corporations. We aim to expand the market through the reputation of being the first in the industry to create an AI legal consultation service. As brand value increases, we can handle the same cases not for 100 million won but for 1 billion won.

Q. Are AI and lawyers competing?

A. It will never disrupt or encroach upon the case acquisition market ecosystem. Rather, it will create a platform that provides a larger market. Advertisements provided to users of the ‘AI DaeRyukAju’ service are based on keywords recognized by the Bar Association and extracted by AI, and matching Naver lawyer advertisements are displayed at the bottom of the answers. No benefits are provided to DaeRyukAju lawyers. The advertising traffic generated through ‘AI DaeRyukAju’ can expand opportunities for legal service seekers to meet lawyers and reduce lawyers’ advertising costs.

Q. There are allegations of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.

A. As the Bar Association claims, it is physically impossible for a lawyer to be present 24/7 to review each AI legal consultation response. The AI’s consultations will be reviewed periodically, and incorrect answers will be corrected, supplemented, and retrained. Ultimately, AI is just a tool, and all legal consultations are reviewed by lawyers in the same way. Legal service seekers who represent themselves can also confirm through AI consultations whether a lawyer is necessary for their case, which will actually open up more opportunities for lawyers.

Q. What are the future challenges?

A. AI is an unstoppable trend of the times, and it is natural for AI to be introduced in high value-added industries such as law, healthcare, and education. In a situation where we must compete with global AI companies, I hope all legal professionals unite to protect the domestic legal market and take a leading role in the introduction of AI in other fields. If the law blocks the sea route, we must change the law and pioneer new routes.

Lee Soon-gyu, Legal Times Reporter

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.