212 | 🇨🇳 🤖 China’s AI “dark factory”

In today’s Brainyacts:

1. “Fan boying” for Thomson Reuters

2. Harvey use cases shared

3. Roblox real-time audio monitoring and other AI model news

4. China’s AI “dark factory” and more news you can use

   👋 to all subscribers!

To read previous editions, click here.

Lead Memo

Sorry, Not Sorry, But Thomson Reuters is On It

I know I'm going to get flak for shilling Thomson Reuters (TR), but hear me out. I respect them because, while they do offer products in the generative AI space and are a competitor and acquirer, that's not my main concern. What excites me is that they're exploring an area I've been advocating for: the human impact of AI on the legal profession.

Recently, as I shared in the last edition, Thomson Reuters released their "Future of Professionals" report, highlighting that AI could free up as much as four hours a week for professionals. These micro-level productivity gains are significant, if not transformative, on a human level. For over a year, I’ve argued that generative AI impacts lawyers far beyond economics; it enhances cognitive health by offloading routine tasks, allowing more time for meaningful work or rest. This is crucial in a profession known for high stress and overwork.

Thomson Reuters’ latest product update emphasizes small changes to our working style paired with AI, referencing a University of California, Irvine study that found it takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus after a distraction. In our distraction-centric world, generative AI helps us stay on track by increasing efficiency and facilitating quicker reentry into deep work states.

From my own experience and countless others', generative AI reduces the opportunity for distractions, and with proficiency in prompting, it aids in maintaining a deep work / flow state. This is essential for our most productive and meaningful work, as intense focus helps ward off distractions.

I'm thrilled that Thomson Reuters is recognizing and researching the cognitive impact of AI on professionals. This is a conversation worth expanding, and I invite others to join me in exploring this promising intersection of technology and human well-being.

TR haters? Drop me a line. TR fans? Drop me a line. Have personal experience with cognitive gains from generative AI? Drop me a line.

Spotlight

📊 👀 What we can learn from Harvey’s Use Cases

Yes, I have been focussed on Harvey.ai a bit lately. But they have been sharing some helpful things and since they are heavily focussed on the legal profession, it is helpful to share with you all.

Yesterday they posted research on how their customers are using the Assistant Tool. They used machine learning to automatically categorize use cases across over 10,000 queries. Based on this sample size, here are two heat maps - one for Transactions and one for Litigation:

You can read their post HERE.

A Few Takes FWIW:

1. Lack of usage in Corporate Strategy & Advising could mean one of two things. Either most lawyers are not doing this type of work (which is likely as many transactional lawyers have not elevated themselves to business advisory levels) OR due to the nature of this work which often involves high-level, complex decision-making with high degrees of confidence and personal trust.

2. Plenty of Drafting use is unsurprising as the “blank page problem” is real for all of us. Getting to a first draft using generative AI is a hyper-scaler for our work.

3. Highest use in IP - both transactional and litigation is not shocking given the nature of this domain. Each deals with vast amounts of technical and legal information and data. There is a high degree of standardization in the IP filings and processes. IP lawyers tend (a generalization) to be tech-savvy and more willing to work with new tech. Certain elements in IP are highly repetitive.

What do you see or don’t see? Drop me a line.

AI Model Notables

► The breakdown of OpenAI’s revenue. 👆👆

► OpenAI believes its technology is approaching the second level of five on the path to artificial general intelligence according to its internal scale that tracks the progress its large language models are making toward artificial general intelligence, or AI with human-like intelligence.

► As more humans interact virtually and directly online, monitoring these interactions for safety violations is becoming challenging. Roblox a leading online gaming creator that allows users to talk to each other live during gameplay is pioneering real-time voice safety with advanced machine learning, significantly reducing policy violations on their platform.

► Microsoft and Apple have decided to quit board roles at OpenAI amid increasing regulatory scrutiny over Big Tech's influence on artificial intelligence.

► Tool that takes responding to an RFP from 6 days to 6 hours gets major investment from IBM and a leading VC firm.

► US lawmakers raise worries about China in Microsoft deal with Emirati AI firm.

News You Can Use:

➭ This Chinese fully autonomous “dark factory” not only runs itself, but with its AI brain, can detect, diagnose, and fix problems. This factory will be responsible for manufacturing 10 million phones a year.

➭ The Republican National Committee released the GOP platform for the 2024 election, saying if elected the party will repeal President Biden’s AI Executive Order and support AI ‘rooted in free speech and human flourishing’.

➭ Dozens of content farms are using AI to mass-produce political misinformation for distribution on TikTok, and 41 accounts published nearly 10,000 videos in less than 18 months.

➭ FTC explores the benefits and risks of open-weights AI models for innovation and consumer protection.

➭ AI Manager Job: Fisher Phillips

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.