AI Lawcraft 2024: Pioneering the Future of Legal Innovation

We are pleased to share the highlights and key takeaways from AI Lawcraft 2024, an event that showcased the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the legal sector. Held at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo, this event was a collaborative effort between BI and Saga, aimed at exploring how AI can revolutionize legal practices and processes.

Event Overview

The two-day event, which took place on November 8th and 9th, featured a series of keynote sessions, workshops, and a hackathon-style competition. The Legal Prompting Competition brought together students, professionals, and AI enthusiasts to develop innovative legal task prompts. The event was designed to be inclusive, welcoming participants of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned experts.

Keynote Agenda

• Harald Øverby, Provost for Research, Learning, and Impact at BI
• Welcome and Opening Remarks
• Monica Viken, Professor at BI
• The Intersection of Law and AI
• Christine Ask Ottesen and Mats Seeberg Berggren, PwC
• The Evolving Role of Legal Experts in the Age of AI
• Dan Sørensen, Legal Engineer and Partner at Saga
• The New Era of Legal Technology Driven by Generative AI
• Ingrid Aukrust Rones, Nordheim Digital
• Public Policy for the Future of AI
• Alexander Irschenberger, The LegalTech Oracle in Copenhagen (video)
• Presentation of Cases, Success Criteria, and Rules
• Målfrid Jordet Ågotnes
• Why is Teamwork So Difficult? Tools & Tips for Overcoming the Challenges

The Competition

At the heart of AI Lawcraft 2024 was the Legal Prompting Competition, an innovative hackathon designed to foster creativity and collaboration. Participants were divided into groups and tasked with developing the best legal task prompts. The competition emphasized practical application, encouraging participants to create prompts that could be used in real-world legal scenarios.

Prompts and Challenges

Participants addressed various challenges, including assisting small business owners with GDPR compliance in a conversational manner and aiding legal professionals in gathering relevant information for case handling.

The prompts were crafted to be user-friendly, ensuring that even those with no prior AI experience could contribute effectively. With a skill-level far surpassing our expectations after only one day of coursing.

The diversity of approaches taken by the teams was an eye-opener:

• Series Prompts and One-Shot Prompting: Some teams experimented with both series prompts and one-shot prompting to determine the most effective method for their specific tasks.
• Complex Examples and Best Practice Documents: Several teams utilized complex examples and best practice documents to enhance their answers, aiming to minimize the need for manual prompts and streamline the process.
• System Prompts and User Prompts Interactions: Innovative interactions between system prompts and user prompts were developed by some teams to clearly specify the roles of the assistant before executing tasks, ensuring clarity and precision.
• AI as a Sparring Partner: A few teams used the AI as a sparring partner, engaging in a series of questions to refine their approach and improve the quality of their outputs.
• Focus Groups: The solutions varied in their target audiences, with some designed for experienced business lawyers and others tailored for clients seeking direct guidance from the AI.

Winning Team: Tenderflow

After 24 hours of intense development, the team "Tenderflow" emerged victorious. Their winning proposal featured a prototype platform with prompt flows designed to streamline compliance checks in public procurement. The solution aimed to automate and enhance the efficiency of public procurement processes, demonstrating significant societal benefits.

Acknowledgments

The success of AI Lawcraft 2024 would not have been possible without the support of our partners, including Advokatfirmaet Hjort, Advokatfirmaet Føyen AS, PwC Norway, SANDS Advokatfirma DA, DNV, Advokatfirmaet Lippestad, and, of course, BI Norwegian Business School and Saga. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants and collaborators for making this event a resounding success.

Looking Ahead

AI Lawcraft 2024 underscored the growing importance of AI in the legal sector. As Dan Sørensen noted, the legal industry is on the brink of a paradigm shift, with AI poised to play a crucial role in delivering more efficient and cost-effective legal services. The event also highlighted the need for legal professionals to adapt to new technologies and embrace innovative approaches to remain competitive.

We can't wait for the 2025 AI Lawcraft!