Since its first release last November, ChatGPT and other large language models have been the talk of the town. While artificial intelligence has left some dumbfounded by its brilliance, others are concerned about the potential abuse of AI and its perceived threat to various professions. 

A June 2023 study conducted by McKinsey & Company revealed that generative AI could potentially contribute up to $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy. In such a competitive market, intelligent systems allow companies to cut costs and increase efficiency. It’s almost too good to give up. 

As Harvard Business Review writers David De Cremer and Garry Kasparov put it, “it seems like there’s nothing that can’t soon be automated, meaning that no job is safe from being offloaded to machines.”

You can’t avoid the fact that AI is becoming a ubiquitous presence in our rapidly evolving world. Just like the steam engine that kick-started the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, AI is transforming industries and how we work. It’s even influencing how we approach the practice of law. 

With its ability to process vast amounts of data, perform legal research in seconds and even create legal documents online, law firms won’t need first-year associates to pull all-nighters to obtain case information. What I don’t see anytime soon is AI taking over as lawyers.

So when I saw Yahoo Finance writer Vishesh Raisinghani’s headline, “’Do not go to law school’: This fund manager warns the legal field is in ‘big trouble’ — as folks are using ChatGPT for complex contracts. Is it time to get into the trades?” I was taken aback.

While changing our approach to legal issues is one thing, completely offloading this field onto AI is a completely different idea — one that is not quite feasible. Even with the most powerful computers and calculators, mathematicians still exist. While AI is evolving, so are we — AI was never meant to replace us, it was meant to assist us and help us grow.

It’s not just Raisinghani, though. In an interview with CNBC, founder and managing partner of Bedrock Capital Geoff Lewis stated, “Do not go to law school. I hope my lawyers aren’t watching this, but I think the legal field is in big trouble. That is going to be one of the first to get disrupted by AI.” He continued, saying “I talk to folks who spend tens of thousands of dollars a week on legal bills. They’re already using ChatGPT to generate complex contracts. I think the legal field is in for a lot of trouble.”

But don’t take Lewis’ words to heart — you should still study for the LSAT. AI is no reason to give up on a career in law. The future is uncertain, and perhaps Lewis and Raisinghani are right. Maybe there will be a robot uprising and lawyers will become obsolete. But is that a world we want to move toward?

AI-based machines excel in speed, accuracy and consistent rationality. However, they lack the intuition, emotions and cultural sensitivity that human beings are capable of, making us uniquely effective — especially in the field of law. Apart from the tasks of deciphering statutory law and staying updated on legal precedents, I’m skeptical that AI can accurately construe and apply the law in alignment with a client’s specific requirements and needs.

Legal cases often require high emotional and ethical reasoning that allows lawyers to build trust and rapport with clients. In the wise words of Elle Woods, “You must always have faith in people. And, most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself,” and I’m not sure I can fully have faith in AI’s legal abilities. 

There’s a reason why lawyers get paid so much. Lawyers might be expensive to hire, but I think the price is more worth it than paying for ChatGPT premium — only to have it respond with something along the lines of, “I don’t have personal thoughts or opinions as I am just a computer program … However, I can provide you with some general information.” 

While AI is a powerful tool that has unthinkable potential, AI is meant to help us, not replace us. This goes for every industry in the world — including law. If you’re thinking of using ChatGPT for writing up a contract, maybe hire a lawyer before you send it off. Humans aren’t perfect, and, as the product of humans, AI isn’t, either.

Helen Nguyen is a graduate student writing about law and social issues in her column, “Law & Disorder.” Her column, “Law and Disorder,” runs every other Wednesday.