Deputy Minister for Justice Andries Nel shared words of wisdom with law students, telling them that while AI can be embraced, it can never replace the human touch.
While the legal profession can benefit from the legal profession using artificial intelligence (AI), it can never replace humanity.
These were the words of wisdom shared by Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Andries Nel, in addressing aspirant legal professionals during the career day for law students on Friday at the North-West University’s Mahikeng campus.
Nel pointed out that as future lawyers, the students will also enter a profession undergoing profound technological change. “The traditional tools of legal practice were once the pen, the brief and the law report. Today they include algorithms, digital platforms, data analytics and artificial intelligence.
”AI can already search vast quantities of law. It can summarise judgments. It can draft contracts. It can identify patterns. It may even predict likely outcomes in litigation,” Nel said. He encouraged the students to understand these technologies and to use them. But at the same time, he warned about its limitations.
