AI already affecting entry level jobs
Bronwyn Herbert: Solicitor Kelly Waring isn't shy about the benefits of using artificial intelligence to be more productive at work.
Kelly Waring: This is a case of not whether we want to fight it or not, it's a matter of evolve or die.
Bronwyn Herbert: The 36-year-old principal director of a Lismore-based law practice introduced an AI program to the team's workplace 12 months ago. It keeps an eye on client costs, clerical tasks as well as fast-tracking complex case summaries.
Kelly Waring: Senior associates, directors all the way through to receptionists and intake staff are using this tool to assist them to do these deep dives into the matter and look for very specific pieces of information.
Bronwyn Herbert: New research has found that tasks where young lawyers traditionally cut their teeth are predicted to be significantly disrupted by digital automation and female graduates will suffer the most. Mariah Foley from the University of Sydney Business School has led the research.
Mariah Foley: Women make up the majority of legal graduates today but they're concentrated in areas that are most vulnerable to automation. So contracts, conveyancing, due diligence, discovery. And these are the roles that are being kind of transformed or hollowed out by digitalisation, automation, AI.
Bronwyn Herbert: Recent research from the United States points to a rising unemployment rate amongst university graduates due in part to artificial intelligence displacing traditional grad roles. Michael Legg is the director of the Centre for the Future of the Legal Profession and says technology will have an impact.
Michael Legg: You can't sort of sit still and just sort of think, oh, it's not going to have an impact on me because I've got a law degree. You've got to be able to offer the sort of interpersonal skills. The lawyer needs to be able to bring to the table this concept of practical wisdom.
Bronwyn Herbert: Stella Hayes is a fourth year Griffith University law student and is already seeing how deeply AI is embedded in her part-time legal job.
Stella Hayes : It's an awesome tool that you can use for administrative tasks, for preliminary research. It's just such a new concept that I think people haven't really grappled the technology and where it can go to.
Bronwyn Herbert: But not a job apocalypse?
Stella Hayes : No, I wouldn't. no. Not yet. That's what I'll say, not yet.
Stella Hayes : Law student Stella Hayes ending that report by Bronwyn Herbert.
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