Avrio Advocati Spring Conference 2024: Empowering Lawyers with Data & AI Insights

The historic city of Derry recently hosted the prestigious Avrio Advocati Spring Conference 2024, with a pivotal session dedicated to "Data & AI for Non-Data & Non-AI Lawyers."

The session, hosted by Caldwell & Robinson Solicitors' Managing Partner, Philip Gilliland, a proud Derry native, has brought together legal professionals from around the globe to explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the legal sector.

The conference featured keynote presentations from industry leaders, offering delegates the latest updates and insights on AI technologies and their applications in legal services.

Naomi Gaston, part of the NewLaw team at PwC currently on secondment at ContractPodAi, captivated the audience with an in-depth analysis of GenAI. She highlighted how this advanced AI tool is reshaping legal practices, both locally and internationally. Gaston addressed prevalent concerns surrounding AI, such as job displacement, security risks, and the issue of AI 'hallucinations.' She emphasised the vast opportunities available for legal professionals who are willing to integrate enterprise AI into their practices, outlining how these technologies can enhance efficiency, accuracy, and overall service delivery.

Gerry Kindlon, Head of Government Affairs Europe with Seagate, provided an enlightening update on the evolving landscape of AI regulation. His discussion looked at how fast AI will grow, identified limiting factors - such as energy, supply chain blockages and storage - and key touch points - such as international political will, raw materials, regulatory ‘sandboxes’ and the need to build trust and excellence. Kindlon identified the EU AI Act, as a pioneering framework likely to set the global benchmark for AI regulation. Kindlon's insights underscored the importance for companies operating within or exporting to Europe to stay abreast of these regulatory developments to ensure compliance and competitive advantage.

Adding to the depth of the discussion, Emmett Maginn, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution at Caldwell & Robinson Solicitors, led a thought-provoking session on the ramifications of generative AI in legal practice, and its potential impact on the law more broadly. Maginn explored the potential opportunities and liabilities that could arise when AI tools are used by lawyers by posing critical questions regarding the future regulation of AI models and the impact of such regulation for lawyers and their clients. His session encouraged delegates to reflect on the fact that AI is likely to play an ever-increasing role in their practice areas, and to consider the ethical and legal responsibilities of integrating AI into their workflows and client relationships.

Philip Gilliland, reflecting on the success of the session, remarked, "It’s exciting to see such a robust exchange of ideas and sharing of knowledge. The advancements in AI present both challenges and remarkable opportunities for lawyers and our clients, particularly for medium-size firms like ours, as it should allow us to scale up to undertake voluminous work that until now requires significant manpower."
The Avrio Advocati Spring Conference 2024 continues to be a platform for innovation and collaboration, bringing together legal minds to navigate the future of law in the age of digital transformation.

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