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15 September 2023 / Eimear McCann
Issue: 8040 / Categories: Features , Profession , Technology
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AI & the human story

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Will artificial intelligence create a tipping point in litigation? Eimear McCann paints a picture
  • The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal world is already tangible, and likely here to stay.
  • AI may play a crucial role in redefining the nature of litigation.
  • The use of AI could transform costs and access to justice, but also raises questions of privacy and ethics.

As a species, we are accustomed to living in a state of uncertainty, often looking backwards for clues to navigate our future. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and the surrounding hype, understanding how—and where—AI will make an impact can be difficult to ascertain.

Upon seeing the famous Ice Age cave paintings in Lascaux, France, in 1940, Picasso reportedly lamented: ‘Since Lascaux, we have invented nothing.’ The discovery of these ancient paintings completely shifted the narrative on the trajectory and history of art. In simplistic terms, the artistic skills we previously understood to be honed over years of learning, such as perspective, movement, and shading,

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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