126 | 🪦 ⚰️ AI Obituaries (nope!)

In today’s Brainyacts:

1. Crime novels are not Crim Pro classes so lay off OpenAI

2. Custom instructions elevate OpenAI’s responses

3. EY.ai - EY’s new AI bot and other AI-related news

4. AI did a really poor job of writing an obituary and other news you can use

👋 to new subscribers!

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Lead Memo

🙄🫡  Get over it

Generative AI and Legal Knowledge Expectations: Let’s Be Realistic

Think about it this way: if you picked up a crime novel, you wouldn't get mad if it didn’t dive deep into the nitty-gritty of criminal procedure, right? That's a bit how we're treating general-purpose AI tools like OpenAI. They're designed for a broad range of tasks, not just legal specifics. It's like expecting a multitool to be a power drill.

Why the high bar? Is it because we think everything online should be 100% accurate? A quick scroll through social media should put that myth to bed.

Maybe, deep down, we're both amazed and a bit wary of AI. We love its potential but also don't want it outdoing us. So, we nitpick. But here's the kicker: the AI doesn’t mind the critique—it’s just code. We’re the ones missing out on maximizing its potential.

Let’s be clear: it’s great to be critical thinkers, but it’s also key to know what to expect. It’s time to appreciate AI for the versatile tool it is and not fault it for not being a specialized expert. After all, you wouldn't blame a crime novel for not being a law textbook.

Spotlight Story

💉🗺️ Learn Custom Instructions to get better at prompting and get better results.

Not too long ago, OpenAI released “Custom Instructions” on a limited basis. These are now available to all OpenAI users (free and paid subscribers).

This function allows you to create a specific way in which ChatGPT will interact with you. It shortcuts what you should be doing with your prompts (emphasis on should be doing) and it saves time by embedding certain knowledge of who you are and how you want ChatGPT to interact with you.

Here is OpenAI’s page on it. But I also did a 10-minute walk-through using the hypothetical of a 1st-year associate.

Here is the template I used for a 1st-Year Associate in the video.

▶︎▶︎ CUSTOM INSTRUCTIONS

What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?

• Profession/role: 1st-Year Associate in a Mid-to-Large Law Firm (Transactional, General)

• Key skills: Basic contract law, legal writing, research skills

• Key value: Eager to learn and contribute in a support role for senior attorneys

• Typical challenges: Adjusting to firm culture, understanding practice-area nuances, workload management

• Specific jargon or language: M&A, due diligence, SPAs (though not yet specialized)

• Ideal audience: Senior associates, partners, legal business staff

How would you like ChatGPT to respond?

• Tone: Professional yet approachable

• Style: Informational with a touch of mentorship

• Level of detail: Summaries with actionable steps and resources for deeper learning

• Neutrality: Neutral but make suggestions or recommendations in a helpful coaching style

• Accuracy or Opinion: Fact-based, offering general best practices for transactional work

• Further Inquiry: Tips for succeeding in the first year, transactional law overviews, time management strategies

AI Model Notables

• Anthropic partners with Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

• EY’s own AI platform goes live

• Meta gets sued by authors for copyright infringement

• Using Gmail or Instagram? Your content is likely being used to train AI.

News You Can Use:

➭ California Bill Proposes Regulating AI at State Level 

➭ Lord Justice of Appeal (UK) uses ChatGPT and finds it “jolly useful.”

➭ Spain has established Europe’s first artificial intelligence (AI) policy task force

➭ Qatar seeks to harness AI in justice, legal systems

➭ Fresh report for how consumers are using Generative AI (want to build in AI? Read this)

➭ Can this startup protect actors by copyrighting biometrics to fight deepfakes?

➭ Tech titans all raise hands to being regulated. That is odd.

➭ EU to let ‘responsible’ AI startups train models on its supercomputers

➭ New AI-generated Coke flavor is here, called Y3000

➭ Please do not use AI to write obituaries – as Microsoft just found out.

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.