Futurelawyer

The Generative AI Wars Have Another Army Ready To Go.

Google Palm 2 Announced By Google. Google didn't let grass grow under its feet, and expanded on Bard, its AI challenger to ChatGPT4, with Palm 2. Neither I nor my readers will likely understand the nuances of Generative AI; but we need to be conversant with the players. They will be behind most of the apps and sites we use every day. Google has the largest training database to use with its AI offerings, and that alone will make it a player in the AI battles to come. You need to become conversant with the different offerings so that you can learn to use them. Palm 2 versus ChatGPT4 versus Google Bard versus whatever comes next. Compute on.

Is 5G Living Up To The Hype?

5G Rollout Disappointments. You don't have to be a road warrior lawyer to need fast cellular Internet access. As our lives go faster, and our dependence on broadband Internet increase, the need for speed follows us everywhere: to the courthouse, the grocery store, our relatives' and friends' homes, and everywhere else our busy lives take us. We carry our lives on our phones in our pockets, and slow Internet doesn't get the job done. As 5G cellular access becomes more ubiquitous, however, there are always some problems, just as 4G was, in its infancy. I have added satellite Internet access for my travels, partly because I love adopting new tech; but, also to hedge my bets. In my travels in the RV, I always have options for Internet, and I have yet to face a situation in which both cellular Internet and satellite Internet don't do the job. Of course, there is always RV park WiFi; but, it is notoriously slow, and insecure. I have gotten into the habit of using a VPN everywhere, in order to secure my traffic whatever avenue I am taking to the Net. So, by all means, use your 5G cellular Internet first, before you default to WiFi; and consider adding Starlink to your arsenal. Be a lawyer wherever you are.

 

#WhyIAmASolo - I Am Incapable Of Fake Action.

At Any Given Moment. Execupundit today highlights one of the biggest structural problems inherent in large organizations. Fake action. There is often a need to look like the organization is responding to events by taking action; but, in truth, the members of the organization don't want to take action, or rock the boat. So, committees are formed. Statements are crafted, with the help of public relations professionals. A watered down plan is initiated. In fact, the members of the organization may believe the hype. It is important that someone take a leadership role and tell everyone when the Emperor has no clothes. Solo practice doesn't allow for such delusions. You are it. You either act or you don't. When you are in a solo practice, there is nowhere to hide.

Happy Mother's Day To All You Mothers.

I know. Mother's Day is Sunday. But, I wanted to get a jump on the day. So, let me be the first to wish every mother out there a happy day. And, in your honor, I give you my favorite Charlie Fincher cartoon, which shows the love one lawyer has for his mom. I am not sure the feeling is reciprocal.

Sometimes You Just Have To Take An Alan Parsons Project Break.

I have written before about my Bose Smartglasses, which I wear all the time. I hate having little plugs in my ears, and the glasses have Bose direct speakers that send great sound to the ears while keeping the user aware of his surroundings. Sometimes, however, I want immersive sound, and my favorite group, Alan Parsons Project, sounds great in over-the-ear headphones. Find a pair with great bass, and you won't be sorry. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a name. These cost less than $100 and they are great. They are light and comfortable, and keep me in my own world whenever I want. 

How To Become A Successful ChatGPT Prompt Writer.

In this brave new world, the user who is able to coax usable analysis and information from ChatGPT will be the most successful. Be careful out there, as there are a lot of people trying to make money pretending they are ChatGPT gurus. In my experience, you will become better by just using the thing, and learning as you do. There are some structural devices that will help you, however. The attached checklist is a good way to begin. Tell ChatGPT who, what, when, where and why. Tell it what tone you want it to use. Ask yourself the questions on the attached list and then ask ChatGPT to give an answer. I have printed a copy of the attached prompt idea list to keep handy. So, I have provided it in photo format. You can type it out and print it yourself if you like. I didn't write it, but, if you browse around, you will find many lists like it.

Stop Worrying About What AI Will Do To Law Practice; You Should Be Worried For Humanity.

Gregory Hinton Outlines Four Dangers Of Artificial Intelligence. When the guy who invented AI quits his job so he can warn us about the risks of AI, pay attention. AI may already be so far beyond human skills that it can't be stopped. Of course, I am more worried about what bad humans can do with the power of AI than I am about the machines themselves. They have, as far as we know, no agency. But, if you think dictators would hesitate for a moment to use robots with AI to kill other humans, you are seriously deluded. Yes, Terminator like killer robots are possible; even though they probably will require human guidance. So, before you worry about AI taking your job, spend some time worrying about regulating its use. 

So, Ms Lawyer, What Will Be Your Next Career?

Now that most of us will be replaced by generative AI bots, it may be time to consider changing careers. Or not. For the same reason that robots haven't completely taken over manufacturing jobs, lawyers will still be needed in the future. There may be fewer of us, though, and we will be practicing law enhanced by AI. We will be doing a lot of thinking, and tinkering with AI work product, and will likely be doing it from different locations; but, we will always be here. Every profession, however, needs to be looking proactively at the future, and you can never have too much preparation. What did you do before AI, daddy?

Digital Books Versus Paper Books.

Bring Back Indexes. Execupundit is a lover of books on paper. His library is a sight to behold. We often jest with each other about my love of digital reading, and my Kindle library contains thousands of books that once were on paper. I have that library in the palm of my hand with my Kindle Scribe and Kindle PaperWhite. I can also access my Kindle library from my Windows computer, my Android tablets, and my Smartphones. I still have a paper library, and love it. But, the big advantage of digital books is that, with modern search engines, an index is unnecessary. Lawyers have been trained since the dawn of the computer age to do Boolean word searches on computers to drill down to relevant case law, and the advent of AI has made natural language searches even easier and more comprehensive. Sorry, Michael, but indexes are obsolete.

ChatGPT Versus Google Bard.

Which AI Chatbot Is The Real Disruptor? Much has been written about ChatGPT in the legal tech space recently. I pinned the site in my browser, and have been playing with it for a while. It is great for seeking confirmation of legal issues and answers that I already know, and can quickly create a list of avenues and ideas for just about any query. But, I have also pinned Google Bard to my browser, and find that there are advantages and disadvantages to both. On the whole, I am more impressed by the quality and speed of the ChatGPT responses; but, a big caveat is that its dataset only has information up to 2021. Google Bard is current, and better at math and coding. So, pick your poison. For the time being, I am using both.