Using AI for Legal Content

Artificial intelligence (AI), namely ChatGPT, has taken the world by storm. In little more than a year, it has completely transformed the way we create content. Some say for the better, others say for the worse. However, whether you like it or not, AI-powered writing tools are here to stay. And they can make sense for repetitive documents, such as contracts and templates. However, should you use AI for legal content creation, blog posts, and web pages that are supposed to speak to humans, namely your potential clients?

Well, the jury is still out. Unedited AI content is wooden, repetitive, and plain boring. AI also makes up stuff. Attorneys have already landed in hot water due to using “invented” facts – even in the courtroom. So, what are some of the pros and cons of using AI in legal content creation, and how can you harness its power without risking damaging your reputation and authority?

Pros of Using AI

AI is everywhere. It’s cheap (or even free), and it’s tempting to use it for all your content. Here are some of the additional advantages of using AI for legal content:

1. Faster Output: AI-powered tools can help law firms churn out legal content faster than ever before. These tools can analyze large amounts of articles and data, saving you time and effort.
2. Improved Accuracy: AI-powered tools can help improve the accuracy of your legal content by identifying any errors and inconsistencies in copy. These tools can also ensure that your legal content is up-to-date and complies with the latest regulations and laws.
3. Cost-Effective: AI-powered writing can reduce the cost of legal content creation by creating SEO content with just a few user prompts. This can help law firms save money while still reaching their content strategy goals.
4. Idea-Generation: AI is a great tool for coming up with keywords and ideas for your blogs and practice pages. What may take a writer hours can take AI mere seconds. Use a good prompt, and AI will spit out dozens of blog ideas with the relevant keywords.

Cons of Using AI

While AI has many advantages, it is far from perfect. Here are some of the cons to be aware of when using AI for legal content:

1. Lack of Human Touch: While AI-powered tools can help to create legal content quickly and efficiently, they lack the human touch that your readers desire when they visit your website. They are looking for help, compassion, and solid advice – not a piece of content that is robotic or puts them to sleep.
2. Risk of Errors: AI-powered tools can help to improve the accuracy of legal content and even provide citations, but they can also mess up. There is always the risk of plagiarism and glaring mistakes when using AI-powered tools to create legal content.
3. Lack of Creativity: Have you ever spent a few hours playing with ChatGPT? Did you notice how repetitive the phrases, words, and sentence structures become after a few tries? So far, AI lacks the creativity that makes your content stand out from the rest. Only a human can do this.
4. Copyright Concerns: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Big copyright lawsuits against ChatGPT are currently making headlines in the media, with the New York Times and famous authors suing for damages. Spoiler: AI is not ideating the content; it’s paraphrasing from content created by others. And those “others” are standing up. This could get interesting and is not something you want to get caught up in.

How Law Firms Can Leverage AI for Legal Content

Let’s face it: AI is not quite there yet. It can’t replace human writers. However, it can do some things very well. If you use AI-powered tools cleverly, they can save you money, time, and effort without turning your website into a sea of meaningless and boring text. How, I hear you ask. Use AI for this:

• Research. AI is extremely efficient at scanning information. You can use this to your advantage and research your competitors, subject matters, and trending legal topics.
• Topic Ideation. Coming up with fresh blog topics and ideas for new practice pages can be hard work. AI can spit out hundreds of ideas in seconds, so why not use it? Stuck for some FAQs? It’ll give you dozens of ideas with just a few clicks.
• Defeat Writer’s Block. Throw in some good prompts, and you’ll have a few paragraphs in seconds. Of course, don’t publish them “as is,” but getting a little help can get the creative process flowing and give you a starting point for a good blog post or practice page.
• Editing. AI tools such as Grammarly are fabulous for proofreading your legal content in mere seconds. No more commas in the wrong places or glaring typos. While you don’t want to accept every suggestion – it’s AI, after all – it’s cheaper and quicker than hiring an editor. You’ll still want to proofread the final version, though.

AI for Legal Content: The Bottom Line

AI-powered tools can make your life a lot easier and help to improve the efficiency and accuracy of legal content creation. That being said, they are absolutely no substitute for human expertise, creativity, and compassion. Law firms should carefully consider the pros and cons of using AI for legal content creation. If you truly want to connect with prospective clients, use AI sparingly and instead hire a great writer or editor. That one blog post connecting with someone who is in pain, looking for help, and feels heard after reading your practice page or blog post could be worth thousands or even millions to your law firm. If you want engaging legal content that converts, don’t gamble with your readers’ trust by letting a robot take over your website.