121 | 👩‍💻🧪 Citizen Developers

In today’s Brainyacts:

1. Learn what citizen development is and why to use it

2. OpenAI launches its OpenAI Enterprise (with a ChatGPT Business for smaller businesses coming soon)

3. Another day, another law firm Chatbot and other AI-related news

4. Only 15% of employed Americans think ChatGPT is useful and other news you can use

👋 to new subscribers!

To read previous editions, click here.

Lead Story

🔑 🏋️ Why you want foundational training for all of your people!

As more legal teams venture into the realm of Generative AI, there's one investment that stands out as non-negotiable: foundational training for every member of your team.

Think of it not as an expense, but as the bedrock upon which empires are built. If you're questioning why every individual, from the mailroom to the boardroom, needs this grounding, then read on.

👩‍💻🧪 Unlocking employees (‘citizens’) to explore and harvest (‘development’) Generative AI for the financial gain of the organization.

Understanding Citizen Development

Citizen development refers to a movement where non-technical individuals, even within highly specialized fields like law, take the initiative to address immediate challenges using basic technological tools. Picture a lawyer or a paralegal, neither of whom are AI specialists, utilizing rudimentary Generative AI tools to hasten contract reviews or streamline internal communications. This grassroots approach allows professionals to directly address pain points in their daily tasks, resulting in immediate, tangible benefits.

Why Citizen Development is the Starting Point for Legal Teams

The realm of legal services is intricate. Practice areas, client segments, geographic regions, and different legal and business roles present nuances and idiosyncracies that only those people in the trenches can understand. It is in the trenches where the first small-scale, low-risk ideas for Generative AI use will be born. This is what you want! Small. Safe. And an opportunity to learn before anything goes further.

Citizen developers can:

1. Address Real Pain Points: Who better to identify the bottlenecks in contract reviewing or the tediousness of document searches than someone who grapples with these tasks daily? Citizen developers can pinpoint and address these real-world issues directly.

2. Innovate from Within: Instead of waiting for a third-party solution that might or might not align with their needs, legal professionals can craft use cases that the team can then vet any future solution for rather than being forced to apply use cases based on what a tool can do - regardless of it makes the most sense.

3. Test New Ideas: Legal professionals often have insights into how processes can be improved or new services/client value that might be offered. Citizen development allows them to turn these ideas into reality without waiting for a full-fledged technological solution.

Financial Wisdom Behind Embracing Citizen Development

Financial prudence is at the heart of any successful venture. Diving deep into AI might seem tempting, but it comes with risks. Here's why starting with citizen development is financially astute:

1. Minimized Initial Expenditure: Instead of investing heavily in a comprehensive AI solution upfront, firms can test the waters with smaller, citizen-developed projects, reducing the risk of financial setbacks.

2. Immediate ROI: Citizen developers, with their intimate knowledge of day-to-day challenges, can create AI solutions that offer instant returns. This could translate to quicker case resolutions or less time spent on research, leading to immediate financial benefits.

3. Setting the Stage for Bigger Investments: The initial success of citizen-driven projects can act as a beacon, guiding further investments in AI by illuminating the most promising avenues.

You don’t just stop at citizen development though. It is the beginning of a pathway to adjust investment with expected outcomes and potential risks. This is how:

The Path Forward: From Grassroots to Growth

After tasting the initial success of citizen development, law firms, and legal teams can progress strategically:

1. Foster Communities of Practice: As more legal and business professionals harness AI, creating communities to share best practices can prevent wasteful spending, ensuring that investments flow towards truly groundbreaking solutions. I said community, not committee!!

2. Initiate Proofs of Concept or Pilots: Insights from grassroots projects can guide investments into Proof of Concepts with higher chances of success, and provide the first real opportunity to identify measurable business impacts of the idea. This helps substantiate whether this is worth pursuing or not.

3. Productization: Once a clear picture of effective solutions emerges, teams can begin deploying the use case and tool, unlocking new revenue avenues while still maintaining control and mitigating risk.

4. Scale for Profitability: Once things have progressed to a point of stability and predictability, it is time to fully embed the solution throughout the relevant parts of the organization. The foundational work of citizen developers guarantees that scaling AI solutions will be aligned with the industry's needs, ensuring maximum returns.

Spotlight Story

ChatGPT Enterprise: A Game-Changer for Legal Services?

OpenAI has recently unveiled its latest offering, ChatGPT Enterprise, creating waves in the technology world and beyond. But why should the legal services sector care, and how does this differ from the previously released versions of ChatGPT? Let's break it down.

1. What is ChatGPT Enterprise?

ChatGPT Enterprise is an advanced tier of OpenAI's renowned chatbot. This new iteration brings with it:

• Access to the more advanced GPT-4 model.

• Enhanced performance, with up to double the speed of previous versions.

• A significant feature allowing organizations to input their company-specific data for a more tailored experience.

For those in legal services, this means faster, more accurate, and more specialized responses, which can be invaluable for legal research, client communication, and more.

2. Why is it Relevant to Legal Services?

Since its launch, ChatGPT has been generating significant concerns throughout the legal sector as it pertains to the following which ChatGPT Enterprise directly addresses.

• Customization: The ability to input legal-specific data means legal teams can train ChatGPT Enterprise with specific legal terminologies, previous case laws, or any niche area of expertise. This makes the tool more relevant and accurate for specific legal scenarios.

• Performance: Lag time in performance and inaccurate responses are unnerving. This tool provides quick responses and strengthens (though does not guarantee) accuracy.

• Confidentiality: OpenAI has emphasized encryption at rest and during transit, along with a clear data retention policy. For client confidentiality these assurances are crucial.

3. The Advent of ChatGPT Business

Lest small firms or legal teams feel left out, OpenAI has teased the introduction of ChatGPT Business, aimed at smaller teams. For smaller law firms or independent legal professionals, this could be a more affordable and scaled-down option that retains the core benefits of the Enterprise version.

4. The Broader Context

The release of ChatGPT Enterprise comes amidst a flurry of activity in the AI chatbot sector. Major players like Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic are continually enhancing their offerings and targeting the enterprise or proprietary offerings (mixing an organization’s data with its own). OpenAI's move can be seen as a strategic step to solidify its position amidst fierce competition and to cater to a broader range of clientele, from individual consumers to mega-corporations. It also shows a new path to revenue for OpenAI - something it definitely needs!

AI Model Notables

• Google’s Gemini AI is a Serious Threat to ChatGPT – Here’s Why

• Poe’s new desktop app lets you use all the AI chatbots in one place

• Davis Wright Tremaine launched its own version of ChatGPT

• Elon live streams his ride in the first fully autonomous Tesla 👇

News You Can Use:

➭ Microsoft to bring OpenAI to eight Hong Kong universities to deploy generative AI tech in education

➭ Behind the AI boom, an army of overseas workers in ‘digital sweatshops’

➭ The 34 most promising AI startups of 2023, according to top VCs

➭ Despite Cheating Fears, Schools Repeal ChatGPT Bans

➭ Spain launches AI regulation agency in bid to become industry leader

➭ US Senate's Schumer to host Musk, Zuckerberg, other tech leaders at AI forum

➭ VIRTUAL FREE Legal Generative AI Summit from The Centre for Legal Innovation

➭ Only 15% of employed Americans think ChatGPT is useful

Who is the author, Josh Kubicki?

Some of you know me. Others do not. Here is a short intro. I am a lawyer, entrepreneur, and teacher. I have transformed legal practices and built multi-million dollar businesses. Not a theorist, I am an applied researcher and former Chief Strategy Officer, recognized by Fast Company and Bloomberg Law for my unique work. Through this newsletter, I offer you pragmatic insights into leveraging AI to inform and improve your daily life in legal services.