Abstract
The minor dissertation observes the latest extreme impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the legal sector with specific emphasis on legal ethics. It is aimed to investigate AI technologies and how same has already and will in the future impact legal practices with ethical service delivery being at the forefront. AI has challenged all parts of human living, and the traditional legal practice has not been spared from its impact. Although AI has contributed significantly, for example, to enhance the efficiency of research in legal practice this does not come without its ethical challenges including bias, transparency and accountability.
The minor dissertation attempts to identify the ever-changing possibilities AI creates for legal practitioners. The investigation will assess the impact of AI used by a legal practitioner with service delivery at the forefront of the practice against the backdrop of severe challenges facing legal practitioners from an ethical perspective when introducing AI to the service delivery arsenal.
The study reveals the possibility of new job creation in the legal sector which will be brought about by expanding services to be delivered to the much-required catch-up field of legal application in the AI sphere. This will unfortunately result in a reduction of mundane but traditional legal tasks which is reserved for the young and learning legal practitioners.
The question of replacing a legal practitioner with AI is investigated. This is done against the background of how a legal practitioner can and should navigate the uncharted territory of allowing AI to advance the way of legal reasoning and the application thereof with the necessary care taken to avoid deterioration of high ethical standards.
The minor dissertation proposes the adoption of an AI policy for South African legal practitioners to guide the implementation of AI technology in their practices for the benefit of not only their clients but for themselves as well.