"But are we willing to cede good lawyer skills to a bot? That seems to be a risk according to a white paper from Thomson Reuters. There's a famous quote attributed to the science fiction writer William Gibson: "The future is already here - it's just not evenly distributed." The white paper demonstrates this very point: AI is eroding critical thinking skills at an alarming rate. The future will be distributed to those who figure out how to retain and enhance these skills."
"The Paper The white paper amplifies a troubling trend that I have discussed before: AI is eroding lawyers' critical thinking skills. Reading the paper confirms what many, including me, have feared: "As AI becomes more capable, lawyers risk becoming less so." Without these critical thinking skills, a lawyer simply cannot exercise analytical skills to identity and define legal problems, much less find solutions."
AI adoption is eroding lawyers' critical thinking skills, with measurable declines linked to cognitive offloading. Research from SBS Swiss Business School found significant correlations between AI use and increased cognitive offloading alongside reduced critical thinking. Overreliance on automated analysis can cause cognitive muscles to atrophy, impairing the ability to identify, define, and solve legal problems. AI's speed and depth make it uniquely prone to fostering dependence because it can perform some cognitive tasks. More experienced lawyers can produce better prompts, but preserving and strengthening analytical skills will determine who succeeds in an AI-driven future.
Read at Above the Law
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