If it seems as if generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities are improving and evolving at a mind-blowing rate, that’s because they are. As these technologies continue to learn and grow more accurate and predictive, the temptation to entrust them with simple tasks becomes overwhelming. For instance, many people already use these AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to handle household tasks (like composing a recipe based on ingredients on hand) or to come up with imaginative responses to prompts (such as composing a song in the style of a specific artist). Naturally, having a tool that can compose pieces of coherent content within seconds can seem like the perfect solution for businesses looking to cut costs and save time. Rather than having a marketing firm write website content for your business, why not have ChatGPT handle this task for you? Your website will come together incredibly quickly, and you won’t have to pay an outside firm to do this service.
As an attorney in solo practice or the owner of a small- to mid-sized law firm, the idea of handing over your law firm content marketing needs to a generative AI tool may sound like a no-brainer. However, before you take this leap, it’s important to familiarize yourself with some of the risks associated with generative AI tools—particularly when it comes to ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness of the content generated by AI technology. Let’s take a look at some of the limitations of generative AI tools and the potential risks associated with entrusting these tools with your content marketing for law firms needs.
Recognizing the Draw of Generative AI Tools
Before we begin to explore the limitations and risks associated with using generative AI tools to handle your law firm’s digital marketing strategy, it’s helpful to understand why many businesses—not just law firms—are drawn to these tools. Until recently, jobs in which people composed written content, reports, articles, or other products were seen as essential and valuable. Newspapers and magazines relied on journalists and writers to spend time researching, writing, editing, fact-checking, and revising written pieces to ensure the accuracy and fluidity of the articles once they were published. However, the sudden arrival of these readily available AI tools, which can generate quality content within seconds, dramatically altered this entire landscape. Now, a company can handle its own content composition needs without having to pay a professional for their work.
As these AI tools continue to adapt to user questions and requests, the results also become more polished and refined. Professionals in every industry are worried about the impact of AI tools on their employment prospects, and the legal sector is no different. A flurry of recent articles, such as the one published by the American Bar Association, are exploring how these AI tools may threaten paralegals, as much of their work can technically be completed using generative AI technologies. While there is no denying that AI tools offer a considerable number of benefits, such as saving businesses precious time and money, there are still many advantages to leaving this work to human professionals.
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Assessing the Limitations and Risks of Using AI to Handle Digital Marketing for Lawyers
It’s clear that generative AI tools have evolved—and will continue to evolve—to improve the quality of the results they provide to users. However, there are several tasks that remain uniquely human, which means that leaving them to AI tools may disadvantage your law firm in any number of ways. Let’s take a look at some of the most significant limitations and potential risks of handing over your law firm’s digital marketing strategy to these generative AI technologies.
Questionable Accuracy and Lack of Quality Data
The quality of the AI-generated content depends on the quality of its training data. In practical terms, this means that AI models that are trained on incomplete, outdated, or biased data will use this information to produce results that reflect unreliable or inaccurate data. As a legal professional, you want to trust that the content you present on your website and share on social media is valid, accurate, and trustworthy. If you use generative AI to come up with your content, it’s essential that you review it and fact-check it for accuracy. The last thing you want is for a client to make decisions or assumptions based on the content you’ve put out there and then learn that this information is misleading, incomplete, or simply incorrect.
Potential for Generic or Reused Content
You want to trust that your website is original and reflects the unique services you are proud to provide to your clients. When AI tools are entrusted with website design for law firms or creating content for a law firm’s online blogs or social media posts, they pull information from all over the web and piece together a coherent written product. However, this often means that the written product borrows heavily from other attorneys’ websites, which may raise questions about originality or even trigger accusations of plagiarism. When you hire an experienced digital marketing professional, you can trust that this individual will craft high-quality, original content that sets your law firm apart from other firms in your area.
Lack of Personal Connection With Potential Clients
As an attorney, the connection between you and your clients is the heart of everything you do. Nothing can replace this dynamic—even AI. Although AI can generate quality content that may be accurate and up-to-date, most people find that it comes off as “flat” or otherwise “off” in its tone. Sometimes, the difference between welcoming a new client and sending the potential client elsewhere comes down to how valued they feel when they visit your law firm’s website. Human writers excel at welcoming potential clients using a warm, inviting, and reassuring tone, which AI tools have not yet come close to accomplishing.
Although it’s natural to wonder whether using AI tools to handle your law firm’s content marketing needs can save you valuable time and money, it’s essential to explore the potential disadvantages of going all-in on AI. At LegalRev, we know from experience (and data) that the needs of your law firm are determined by three factors: your practice area, your market size, and how quickly you want to see results. If you’re ready to take your digital marketing efforts to the next level and ensure that these strategies engage more of the clients you are hoping to serve, give our office a call today at (800) 893-2590 to get started.
