Internationally recognized law firm Gunderson Dettmer has announced the release of its new artificial intelligence-based chat app, named ChatGD. As a tool developed within the U.S., this launch cements Gunderson Dettmer as the first U.S.-based firm to create a proprietary tool leveraging generative AI technology. Interestingly, it may represent the first instance globally where such a tool has been debuted by a law firm [1].
Working with cutting-edge AI-based tools is not new for Gunderson Dettmer. The firm has represented numerous clients in the AI sector and utilized various third-party AI tools themselves, principally those powered by large language models (LLMs). Yet, the introduction of ChatGD represents their first internally developed AI tool–a significant milestone bridging in-house legal expertise with the latest technology [2].
ChatGD, which is already being used by Gunderson Dettmer’s attorneys, enables the manipulation and querying of documents securely via an enterprise instance of OpenAI’s models on Microsoft Azure. This integration not only helps ensure data confidentiality and prevents misuse but provides compatibility with other LLMs such as Anthropic, Google Palm, and Meta’s Llama 2 [3].
The application contains two main components: a general chat mode allowing direct communication with the LLM, and a function for document querying using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), enhancing queries with context from outside the LLM. Interestingly, users can upload a collection of documents and then query the LLM which will then provide responses considering the context offered by the documents [4].
Going beyond these capabilities, ChatGD can also craft out a new version of a clause when provided with a model agreement. For instance, an attorney could request a revised clause allocating more risk to the investor from a model financing agreement. With this, the tool offers a valuable aid to routine legal tasks, saving the professionals valuable time [5].
While these developments might be seen as threatening to professionals, Gunderson Dettmer believes otherwise. The technology should be viewed as an aid rather than a replacement for human specialists who can provide subject matter expertise and judgement. Each login to ChatGD requires an acknowledgement of the firm’s usage policies – that the professionals cannot rely solely on the AI output or use AI to undertake actions they are not competent to carry out [6].
In conclusion, as Gunderson Dettmer continues advancing this application, a key focus is developing attorney comfort and competence in harnessing AI. Accommodating generative AI technology in routine workflows presents attorneys the opportunity to understand AI’s limitations and learn how to exploit their full potential. The debut of ChatGD marks an exciting start toward building such skills [7].