IE Law School and ECIJA launch their first report on the impact of AI in the legal sector

“Either we adapt and develop ourselves or the fear that technology could replace lawyers will become our reality. Anyone who cannot adapt in the new ecosystem will be replaced,” said Alex Touriño, managing partner of ECIJA, at the presentation of the report on Artificial Intelligence from the IE-ECIJA Digital Law Observatory, on March 9 at IE University’s Paper Pavilion.

The Observatory was created with a view to explore and research the different legal dimensions and implications of the digital economy. It aims to become a platform for legal and academic research and dissemination within this new legal framework.

The event included a panel discussion which focused on the topics covered by the report—the result of a previous focus group—including the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), how to prevent its risks and how it is currently used in organizations. The panel was formed of Ana Buitrago, legal director of Amazon Spain and Italy; Antonio Muñoz, data protection technical director for the Global DPO Office of Telefónica; Elena Otero-Novas, director of legal, regulation and corporate security at Vofadone Spain; and was moderated by Rafif Srour, vice-dean of IE School of Science and Technology.

During the event, it was pointed out how new technology can always pose risks. AI is not without risks either, including replacing human decision-making or visibly manipulating those decisions by providing incorrect or biased information. 

“AI biases are dangerous when they conflict Human Rights.”
Ana Buitrago, legal director of Amazon Spain and Italy

When asked by Rafif Srour, vice-dean of IE School of Science and Technology, about the role ethics plays in the world of AI, Elena Otero-Novas, director of legal, regulation and corporate security at Vofadone Spain responded, “when we talk about activities that are unacceptable as they violate human rights, we talk about law and ethics, since they go hand in hand.”

Regarding AI responsibility and the widespread ownership of the tool itself, Antonio Muñoz, data protection technical director for the Global DPO Office at Telefónica, stressed that “the AI ecosystem and value chain are very complicated. It is important to understand that there is more than one factor that that can risk generating damage.” For Novas, “human supervision or certification of certain systems is essential.”

The speakers also highlighted the importance of ChatGPT in the legal sector, pointing out how talking with a reliable machine can help reduce tasks. However, Muñoz pointed out that “the conversational element of ChatGPT creates a human-like relationship, producing trust that can pose risks.”

Regarding its application in the education sector, Srour stated that “AI is an opportunity to rethink our educational strategy and an opportunity to promote critical thinking.”