LawTwitter Blew Up Today!

“Things ChatGPT can do right now that (maybe) you no longer need to pay lawyers for!“

A lawyer posted this line in a thread about how to use ChatGPT this morning. It blew up to millions of views and interactions.

He then walked through a scenario that is realistic and shows the strengths and weaknesses of using ChatGPT as a business owner avoiding using a lawyer.

I planned to write on this topic this week so I take it as a sign and dug in today!

A special Hello 👋 to my NEW SUBSCRIBERS! 
To read previous posts, go here.

Ok, today we will:

1. take a contrarian view on the impact of GenAI on lawyers

2. highlight a new app that works as a browser-based legal assistant

3. do a 4-min video walk thru of a great tool to convert web articles & documents into speech - in an array of voices

4. explain a prompt to review T&Cs and Privacy language

5. share from best practices to be safe with ChatGPT

6. disclose TruthGPT - Elon’s new AI tool

7. a meme about using ChatGPT for homework

AI Will Increase Demand for Lawyers

In a world of increasing legal complexity, one might assume the rise of generative AI spells doom for the legal profession.

🐎🏇 But hold your horses, doomers. Let’s be contrarian thinkers! ☯

This AI revolution might just be the boon lawyers never knew they needed. As AI simplifies legal tasks like filing lawsuits and creating contracts, we're likely to see an uptick in legal demand rather than a lawyer-free dystopia.

Picture this: AI makes it a breeze to turn handshake agreements into legally binding ones, and suing becomes as easy as ordering a pizza. With user-friendly AI like ChatGPT, even the least litigious among us might consider filing a complaint. As legal fees drop, watch out for an avalanche of lawsuits, previously the exclusive domain of the wealthy. This new legal landscape could lead to soaring demand for human lawyers to navigate the complexities of countless cases.

As AI-powered legal tools become more specialized, top law firms and corporations are bound to jump on the bandwagon. As businesses big and small engage in legal battles over increasingly lower-value issues, they'll need a mix of AI and human lawyers to CYA. Just like how the invention of calculators didn't replace mathematicians, AI may serve as an assistant to legal professionals rather than a replacement.

Who knows, perhaps AI will lead to a renaissance in the legal profession, giving lawyers the opportunity to focus on what they do best - advocating for their clients.

Don’t fall prey to the narrative that Generative AI is the career-ending monster it's made out to be for lawyers. Instead, it has the potential to democratize legal access and create an environment where lawyers are needed more than ever. So, let's embrace this AI future and consider the opportunities it might bring to the legal profession, and perhaps, to other fields as well.

💡 🧐 ChatGPT is already delivering greater legal awareness and legal capabilities to people and businesses. The more they get informed, the more likely they will be to seek out formal legal options and lawyers.

Here is a list of how ChatGPT is being used right now to help manage day-to-day legal issues without consulting a lawyer - written in the voice of ChatGPT:

1. Legal research: Ask me to provide general information on legal topics, such as contract law, employment law, or intellectual property law. This can help you gain a better understanding of the basics and relevant statutes.

2. Drafting letters: I can assist you in drafting non-legally binding letters, such as cease and desist letters, demand letters, or letters of intent. Just provide me with the necessary details, and I can generate a template for you to work with.

3. Contract templates: Ask me to provide you with basic contract templates, such as non-disclosure agreements, independent contractor agreements, or lease agreements. You can use these as a starting point for drafting your own contracts.

4. Legal terminology: If you come across legal jargon that you don't understand, ask me for an explanation. I can help clarify terms and concepts to make legal documents more accessible.

5. Negotiation tips: If you're entering into a negotiation or dispute resolution, I can offer general tips and strategies that may help you navigate the process more effectively.

6. Small claims court: I can provide information on the process and requirements for filing a small claims court case, which can be helpful for resolving minor disputes without hiring a lawyer.

7. Local regulations and ordinances: If you need information on local laws, such as zoning or business licensing requirements, I can help you find relevant resources.

8. Legal resources: I can direct you to useful websites, organizations, and online resources that can provide further information on various legal topics.

🚨🚨 Here is a Twitter post that went out this morning. At the time of writing this (6pmET), it has over 15.5M views! It’s worth checking out!

Micro-legal Needs Micro-solutions

Part of my job is to deliver useful and pragmatic content to you. This means I am always on the lookout for new startups, tools, and apps that may impact the legal profession.

This one hit my inbox this morning: BetterLegal’s Assistant. This is not an ad for them btw.

This is a great example of how GenAI products can help address a market that lawyers underserve (for a number of reasons). This new Chrome extension uses AI-powered legal translation that simplifies legal jargon into easy-to-understand terms for people and business owners with micro-legal needs, eliminating the need to find a lawyer for basic legal tasks.

Its website lists what it can and can’t do:

Can do:

• Translate complex legal jargon into simpler, everyday language.

• Help users understand the general meaning of legal documents, such as contracts, terms of use, and privacy policies.

• Provide a starting point for users who want to familiarize themselves with legal concepts and terminology.

• Save time and effort by providing quick and accessible explanations of legal text.

• Assist users in identifying key clauses, terms, and conditions in legal documents.

Can't do:

• Provide specific legal advice tailored to an individual's unique circumstances or case.

• Guarantee 100% accuracy in translation, as AI models may occasionally misinterpret nuances or context.

• Replace the need for professional legal consultation in complex situations or high-stakes matters.

• Account for jurisdictional differences in legal terminology, which may vary between states or countries.

• Ensure full comprehension of all legal implications, especially in cases where the language or concepts are highly specialized or intricate.

Generative AI is and will impact the legal profession. We are only scratching the surface. I believe it is beneficial more than harmful to lawyers but it is all in how you want to view it and use it.

• Tools like 👆 are going to keep being built

• Lawyers like SMBAcqusitionAttorney are going to keep learning it

• Your clients are going to be using it

• Law students are using it

• Law firms are investing in it.

New AI Tool Video Walk-thru

What is it: Article.audio

What does it do: Converts online articles, PDFs, and text files into audio where an AI-generated voice “reads” the information to you.

My take: I love this! I have a long commute every other week (7 hours one way) and I am always trying to find ways to learn and make that time productive. There are only so many podcasts, audiobooks, and music stations I can handle for long periods. Loading up a handful of articles into tools like this makes it easy for me to consume current information.

Another use case is to turn your own document into audio files to quality check, create more inclusive content for the hearing impaired, create an audio ebook, etc. Many ideas. Check it out.

ChatGPT Use Case: 

How many of you actually read the Terms & Conditions and the Privacy statements of the apps you use? Right, none of you. I don’t tend to either.

But in writing this newsletter, I have had to try out 100s of tools and apps; trying to find ones that are relevant, work, and are safe. I do my best but cannot guarantee anything. Some apps I have tried in the past have simply disappeared. Others have changed completely.

Also, some do not even have T&Cs or Privacy statements - like this one that upon trying to use the free version, immediately wants access to your Twitter profile.

Others look like they have them but when you click on them, it just reloads the homepage - like this one.

I will not test or use either BTW.

When I do find them, I have been using a simple prompt in ChatGPT to help me out as I don’t want to read all of them, nor do I want to suffer through the legalese in doing so.

Now is this a 100% perfect method? Nope. But it is better than not reading them and clicking anyway - like so many of us are apt to do.

▶︎▶︎ PROMPT:

Please review the following Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statements for a newly released app. Identify and categorize any issues as red flags (high risk) and yellow flags (some risk, proceed with caution). Provide a brief explanation for each identified issue and its associated risk level.

I share an example of the output here.

Depending on the response, I may add the following prompt:

▶︎▶︎ PROMPT:

Knowing this, what is the worst that could happen? Please explain in plain language.

You will get something like this.

News you can Use: 

ChatGPT Best Practices to Be Safe

ChatGPT continues to dominate the AI landscape, sparking the development of rival products from major tech companies. As users harness these generative AI tools for various tasks, it's crucial to adopt a cautious approach to protect privacy and security.

Two articles on this topic:

1. Why your ChatGPT conversations may not be as secure as you think

2. 4 things you should never do while chatting with ChatGPT

Key Tips:

• Avoid sharing personal data with ChatGPT, as it may save and use the data input in chats - like names, locations, or identifiable info.

• Don't install untrusted ChatGPT apps, as they may contain malware - look for T&Cs and/or Privacy statements. Also use your gut - if the website looks rushed or too simple - think twice.

• Always ask ChatGPT for sources to verify the accuracy of the information provided - AND Google the resources just to make sure!

• Be mindful of copyright laws when using generated content from ChatGPT - if you are using other people’s work or referencing it, be mindful that your response may contain protected content in some way.

TruthGPT is (maybe) Elon Musk’s forthcoming AI product

Remember to always proofread after you copy-n-paste from ChatGPT!

That's a wrap for today. Stay thirsty & see ya next time! If you want more, be sure to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

DISCLAIMER: None of this is legal advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not legal advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any legal decisions. Please /be careful and do your own research