Source: The Times of India

The Times of India reports on a growing movement within the South African legal community calling for the establishment of clear rules and regulations governing the use of artificial intelligence in legal practice and court proceedings. The call to action is motivated by the increasing availability of generative AI tools and a desire to preempt the ethical and practical problems that have emerged in other jurisdictions, such as lawyers submitting filings with fabricated case law. Legal professionals in South Africa are urging their governing bodies and the judiciary to take a proactive stance to maintain the integrity of the justice system.

The concerns raised by the lawyers are multifaceted. They include the potential for AI-generated misinformation to mislead courts, the risk of confidential client data being compromised when using third-party AI platforms, and the need to ensure that all legal practitioners are held to a uniform standard of professional responsibility when using such technology. The proposals being discussed involve creating a formal code of conduct for AI use, mandating disclosure when AI has been used in the preparation of legal documents, and implementing training programs to educate lawyers on the responsible use of these powerful new tools. The overarching goal is to harness the efficiency benefits of AI while establishing robust safeguards to protect the rule of law and the administration of justice in South Africa.