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After more than a decade in the legal innovation field, Al Hounsell, an adjunct professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, is no stranger to technology hype cycles – that is, the maturity, adoption and social application of emerging technologies.
His hiring at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, where he is currently director of strategic innovation and legal design, coincided with the first wave of artificial intelligence (AI) products to hit the legal market.
“I went through that initial cycle of AI excitement and disillusionment,” Hounsell says of that time, when some in the legal profession wondered what impact the technology would have on the profession. “I was able to witness everyone screaming that the sky was falling, and that AI was going to take all of our jobs. But once people actually started using these tools, very quickly they realized that AI – as it existed then – was nowhere remotely close to doing anything that could capture the full value of what a lawyer could provide, in basically any area at all.”
Next up were the metaverse and blockchain, both of which Hounsell remains largely skeptical of.
“I don’t really see the use case for either in terms of legal practice,” he says.
Right now, the legal profession – like much of the rest of the world – is in the middle of a fresh wave of excitement around generative AI. But this time, something feels different to Hounsell.
“It is not the same as the older version of AI and it’s definitely going to significantly impact what lawyers do,” he says.
Still, Hounsell is betting on the resilience that the legal profession has demonstrated time and time again in the past couple of centuries.
“The new technology can help us do the rote stuff: things that are highly structured and predictable,” Hounsell explains. “The legal industry is going to keep moving to the grey area, that ever expanding area of complexity and confusion where humans are needed to help their clients strategically mitigate their risk.”
Hounsell will be sharing more of his insights on the topic at the Osgoode Professional Development (OsgoodePD) second Annual Forum on Artificial Intelligence and the Law on Oct. 9 and 10. Following the success of last year’s event, the online conference will feature two full days of programming led by a variety of industry experts who will decode need-to-know technology and terminology while offering practical insights and strategies for compliance with the constantly evolving AI regulatory framework. An online replay will follow in November for those who are unable to attend live.
“We’re going to be getting into the nuts and bolts of what’s actually happening in generative AI,” says Hounsell, “including what it’s good at and what it’s not good at, as well as why it is so good at certain tasks and why it will probably never be good at others.”
Hounsell has established himself as a leader on the intersection of law and technology. Named Innovative Leader of the Year at the 2024 International Legal Technology Association Awards, he got his start in the legal profession after first making an impression in the web development field, founding several successful businesses before deciding to pivot to law via the Osgoode-Schulich Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration Program.
The alumnus renewed his relationship with Osgoode in 2022, taking up an offer to teach a class on technology and innovation in legal service delivery and then speaking at last year’s inaugural Forum on AI and the Law. This year, Hounsell is expecting key players from law firms, in-house legal departments and legal technology companies to be among the program's attendees.
“For big changes to occur in our industry,” he says, “what we really need to see are people who are thinking strategically about this technology.”
And this program, he hopes, will help make that happen.
For more information and to register, visit the registration page.