The legal profession has been abuzz with discussions around generative artificial intelligence, and Thomson Reuters has been at the forefront of these conversations. Their strategy was made clear when the company acquired the legal research and AI company Casetext, including the CoCounsel generative AI tool, in June.
In November, the company introduced generative AI to their flagship legal research platform, Westlaw Precision, in the form of AI Assisted Research. This was followed by the implementation of generative AI in Practical Law, Thomson Reuters’ legal know-how product.
This expansive movement into generative AI has been overseen by two pivotal figures in Thomson Reuters: Mike Dahn, senior vice president and head of Westlaw product management, and Joel Hron, head of artificial intelligence and TR Labs. Both have been instrumental in developing, implementing and integrating the company’s AI product strategy.
Thomson Reuters’ bold moves raise several questions regarding the future of legal software, the impact of their acquisition of CoCounsel and their broader AI product plans. The implications of such rapid adoption of AI within legal research and legalware sectors are yet to be fully understood.
To delve deeper into these topics, consult the full episode of LawNext, where Dahn and Hron discuss the development of AI Assisted Research in Westlaw Precision, TR’s wider AI product strategy, the incorporation of CoCounsel into the AI roadmap, and the company’s protections against AI ‘hallucinations’ and security risks.