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Legal IT

An introduction to AI computers for lawyers

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AI Computers are being called the biggest development in the PC industry in 25 years. Experts believe they could also trigger a refresh cycle in the PC-industry. In this article, we will answer the following questions. What are AI computers? What are the benefits of AI computers, and what are the benefits for lawyers? Do you, as a lawyer need to get yourself one? What are the challenges and limitations for legal work?

What are AI computers?

So, what are AI computers? The term was launched by Intel. They describe it as follows: an AI PC has a CPU, a GPU and an NPU, each with specific AI acceleration capabilities. An NPU, or neural processing unit, is a specialized accelerator that handles artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tasks right on your PC instead of sending data to be processed in the cloud. The GPU and CPU can also process these workloads, but the NPU is especially good at low-power AI calculations. The AI PC represents a fundamental shift in how our computers operate. It is not a solution for a problem that didn’t exist before. Instead, it promises to be a huge improvement for everyday PC usages.

In other words, AI PCs are regular personal computers that are supercharged with specialized hardware and software. These are specifically designed to handle tasks involving artificial intelligence and machine learning. When it comes to the hardware, what stands out is the presence of an NPU, i.e., a Neural Processing Unit. Its job is to accelerate AI workloads, particularly those that require real-time processing, like voice recognition, image processing, and deep learning applications.

AI PCs also run specialized software stacks, frameworks, and libraries tailored for Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning workloads. “The distinction between AI software and ‘normal’ software lies in how each type of application processes the work you ask it to do. A conventional application just provides pre-defined tools not unlike the specialty tools in a toolbox: you must learn the best way to use those tools, and you need personal experience in using them to be effective on the project at hand. It’s all up to you, every step of the way. In contrast, AI software can learn, make decisions, and tackle complex creative tasks in the same way a human might. That learning capability gives you a new kind of tool that can simply do the job for you at your request, because it has been trained to do so. This fundamental difference enables AI software to automate complex tasks, offer personalized experiences, and process vast amounts of data efficiently, transforming how we interact with our computers.”

Benefits of AI computers

Why were AI computers created in the first place? Generative AI has become extremely popular. But it puts high workloads on the cloud servers AI is using. The idea is to share that workload with the PCs of the users. And for that, you need to have powerful PCs with the necessary hardware and software. In short, AI computers are beneficial for the users, as well as for the manufacturers and AI service providers.

Benefits for users

Experts have identified many potential benefits for the users. AI PCs can boost productivity, enhance creativity, and improve user experience. Below are some of the key advantages the literature mentions, in random order.

Enhanced and accelerated performance for AI Tasks: AI PCs are equipped with hardware specifically designed to tackle demanding AI applications. This translates to faster processing of complex calculations and data analysis, crucial for tasks like video editing, scientific simulations, and training AI models. This acceleration can significantly speed up the training and inference of deep learning models. And other applications like video conferencing, e.g., can also greatly benefit from this enhanced performance.

Improved efficiency and automation: AI features can automate repetitive tasks, freeing you up for more strategic work. Imagine software that automatically categorizes your files or optimizes battery life based on usage patterns.

Improved power efficiency: AI accelerators like TPUs are designed to be power-efficient, consuming less energy while delivering high performance. Laptop batteries, e.g., will last longer before needing recharging. AI PCs can lead to lower operating costs and a smaller environmental footprint.

Personalized User Experience: AI can learn your preferences and adjust settings accordingly. Brightness, keyboard responsiveness, and even video call framing could adapt to your needs, creating a more comfortable and efficient work environment.

Boosted Creativity: some AI PCs come with built-in creative tools that can generate ideas, translate languages, or even write different creative text formats based on your prompts. This can be a game-changer for designers, writers, and anyone looking for a spark of inspiration.

Enhanced Security: AI-powered security features can constantly monitor for threats and potential breaches, offering an extra layer of protection for your data.

Benefits for chip manufacturers and for service providers

The new AI computers do not only benefit the users. As mentioned before, having part of the workload done on the users’ side, also considerably reduces the workload on the servers of the AI service providers. One expert even estimates that, “By end of 2025, 75% of enterprise-managed data will be processed outside the data centre.” So, service provides will have to invest less in infrastructure.

At the same time, AI PCs can be useful in the data centre, too. Two important benefits they offer are scalability and a faster time-to-market. Many AI PCs support multiple AI accelerators, allowing for scaling up the computational power by adding more accelerators as needed. This scalability enables handling larger and more complex AI models and workloads. The accelerated performance of AI PCs can also significantly reduce the time required for training AI models, enabling faster iteration and deployment cycles for AI applications and solutions.

The introduction of a new type of personal computers is of course also good news for the manufacturers, as it creates a new – and booming – market. It should not come as a surprise then, that all major chip manufacturers like Intel, Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm have started making NPU chips. Apple, too, has announced new chips that are AI optimized. It is safe to assume that soon all new PCs, laptops, and tablets will be AI computers.

Benefits for lawyers

All of this then begs the questions, do you, as a lawyer, need one? Well, apart from the abovementioned benefits, AI computers can offer lawyers specific benefits, too. They can, e.g., significantly enhance the efficiency of legal practices by automating routine tasks such as document review, legal research, eDiscovery, and contract analysis. Experts anticipate the following benefits.

Improved Legal Research: AI can analyse vast amounts of legal documents, regulations, precedents, and case law, helping lawyers identify relevant precedents and arguments much faster. This can save significant time and effort compared to traditional research methods.

Contract analysis and enhanced due diligence: AI can sift through contracts and financial records, highlighting potential risks and areas requiring closer scrutiny during due diligence processes. This typically can be a time-consuming task for lawyers, where AI can do it very fast. Add to that that it can improve the accuracy and efficiency of legal reviews.

Legal document analysis, review, and drafting assistance: AI-powered tools can help lawyers draft legal documents by suggesting language, identifying inconsistencies, and ensuring compliance with regulations. AI models can also be trained to analyse and extract relevant information from large volumes of legal documents, contracts, and case files. The computational power of AI PCs can speed up this process significantly.

Predictive analytics: with the help of AI PCs, lawyers can develop predictive models to analyse the potential outcomes of legal cases based on historical data and various factors.

Natural language processing (NLP): AI PCs can be used to train and deploy NLP models for tasks like legal document summarization, information extraction, and sentiment analysis.

Challenges and limitations for legal work

At present, however, AI computers are still facing some challenges and limitations when it comes to legal work. While AI PCs can provide computational advantages, many legal applications may not require the full power of these specialized systems. For routine legal work, such as drafting documents or conducting basic research, regular desktop or laptop computers might suffice.

AI computers still have limited judgment and creativity. The core tasks of lawyers often involve legal reasoning, strategy, and creative problem-solving, areas where AI is still not very advanced. AI PCs can’t replace a lawyer’s ability to analyse complex situations, develop persuasive arguments, or adapt to unexpected circumstances in court.

There also is the issue of data dependence and accuracy: the effectiveness of AI tools heavily relies on the quality and completeness of the data they’re trained on. Legal data can be complex and nuanced, and errors in the data can lead to inaccurate or misleading results.

The benefits may not justify the higher costs. AI PCs can be significantly more expensive than traditional PCs. For lawyers who don’t handle a high volume of complex legal matters that heavily rely on AI-powered research or due diligence, the cost may therefore not be justified.

CONCLUSION

AI PCs can be a valuable tool for lawyers, especially for tasks like legal research and due diligence. However, they shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for human lawyers. AI is best used to augment a lawyer’s skills and expertise, not replace them. And at present, AI computers may be overkill when it comes to day-to-day legal work, where existing computers can handle the workload and the extra cost of an AI pc is not justified.

It is also important to consider that the technology used in AI computers is a new and evolving tech. AI PCs are a relatively new concept, and the functionalities are still under development. The “killer application” that justifies the potentially higher cost might not be here yet. Add to that, that to fully benefit from AI features, you’ll need compatible software that can leverage the AI capabilities of your PC.

The decision to invest in AI PCs for legal work would depend on factors such as the specific use cases, the volume of data or workload, the complexity of the AI models required, and the potential return on investment. Law firms or legal departments with a significant focus on AI-driven legal technologies may find AI PCs more beneficial than those with more traditional workflows. But for many lawyers, a traditional PC with good legal research software might still be the most practical solution.

 

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