The implementation of Generative AI likely tops the list of anyone who has spent five minutes playing with ChatGPT. Knowledge workers around the world are rethinking their job description – and what it means to provide value to their clients.
Here are the very basics of what you need to know about Generative AI.
Yet adopting any new technology is tricky and requires its own change management process. This is even more valid in the case of Generative AI, which is bound to cause massive disruption.
Below are six strategies to observe when designing the adoption process in your organisation.
#1 Set clear guardrails
If you give a tool to the people, you have to be specific about the boundaries. “Be careful” won’t do – any guidelines should be as specific as possible and possibly include examples.
Without proper policies that people will actually understand and enact, not just read (read my introduction to Legal Design here), it can end up one of two ways: a lot of mishaps or no usage at all.
Be proactive and create a safe playground.
#2 Define use cases
You have the tool and good guidelines – and now what?
It is a common issue that a lot of organisations get tech tools without first gaining an understanding of what exactly are you going to do with it. Here is how to avoid this trap.
You simply cannot expect an actionable majority of your employees to come up with their own use cases. You can let them play to see what comes out of that. But besides that, your job is to design the use cases across your organisation, based on calculating Return on Investment and assessing the actual business needs. This cannot be an afterthought. Be proactive.
#3 Be constructive about limitations
We often expect technology to perform at 100%, even in cases where humans make barely 20%. Then if the tech is not 100%, we then tend to write it off, even if it still would be an improvement compared to the current state.
A good symptom of this is “catching” the Generative AI hallucinating: “Ha! See! It is not correct in this sentence! I can’t possibly use something like this!“
The proper response is creating guardrails and protocols for editing and review, and communicating clearly and intentionally about any limitations.
#4 Watch out for misalignment of incentives
If all the above – organisational chaos and technical limitations – were bad news for the incorporation of Generative AI, the billable hour is straight out catastrophic.
Unless there is immediate and very immense pressure from your clients, if your profit is proportional to your inefficiency, you are going to face some serious opposition.
But here it is: if you do not murder your cash cow, someone else will. And once it happens, it is usually too late to pivot and catch up with your competitors.
The good idea here is to focus on suitable projects or create something new and separate, instead of fighting the current structural inefficiencies. Having a clean slate can power your first win.
#5 Leverage cross-seniority and cross-team exchange
Generative AI is a novel concept and it takes a lot of work to keep up with all the developments. This will usually not be done by the same people as those who are making the key decisions.
A healthy exchange between more senior and junior people, specialists and generalists, and among departments is always a boost for any organisation. But in this case, it is essential.
Create forums and reverse mentoring frameworks. If someone is particularly active and interested, give them the space.
#6 Be open-minded
Lawyers are prone to hanging out in lawyers-only echo chambers. Especially in law firms you can have a hard time encountering someone who has not been in the industry for quite a while, even in roles that are not outright legal (see #3 on my list of mindsets that hinder innovation).
This overspecialisation can make the adoption of tech challenging in general, with novel, not quite established tech almost impossible. Since the AI engines struggle most with versatility, the more you specialise, the bigger bit of your work can be performed by AI.
It can be really hard to imagine doing things differently after x years of practice. But Generative AI is a disruption that cannot be ignored. So brush up on your beginner mindset and get ready to learn again (and here is how you can use GPT to coach you).
Shrnutí na konec
Generative AI is a huge thing that is on its way to disrupt and completely transform our industry.
The adoption and incorporation process will not be straightforward. Just imagine how hard it must have been for lawyers to adopt computers and 24/7 availability. And this will be bigger.
So let’s get ready – proactively and deliberately with the help of the six strategies outlined in this article.
Co myslíte?
Are you in the play stage or are you already reaping real benefits?
-Baru
