Lawyers in Singapore now have access to Microsoft’s generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tool Copilot, but are reminded about the importance of human oversight even as they embrace the technology.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 has been integrated with the country’s legal technology platform, which was introduced in 2022 as a collaboration infrastructure designed to support legal workflows and comprises a host of legal tech tools. Co-developed by the Law Ministry and tech partner Lupl, the platform aims to help local law firms, and small and midsize businesses (SMBs), procure and maintain tech tools.
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The tech platform allows lawyers to view and track common work processes, such as document drafts, team discussions, client instructions, and administrative functions such as billing.
Its integration with Copilot is one of the first involving a sector-specific technology system in Singapore, according to a statement jointly released by the Law Ministry, Lupl, and Microsoft.
Platform users can utilize Gen AI to automate certain tasks, such as drafting status updates and tracking deadlines. For instance, legal professionals can communicate via a natural language interface with a virtual legal project manager, to get real-time updates on tasks and monitor team workload. They also can scope case matters with AI assistance and inform clients of AI-generated status updates.
Local law firms have also been granted an offset for the initial costs of subscribing to the legal tech platform, tagged at SG$59 ($45.21) per user per month for the Pro package, which includes the Copilot integration. The Starter package is available at SG$29 per user per month but does not include access to Copilot.
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Applicants for the grants can receive up to 70% funding support for two years when they subscribe to the tech platform and Copilot module. Those who wish to do so should submit their applications before March 31, 2025.
Humans still need to play their role
Lawyers qualified to practice law in Singapore can use Copilot and any AI tools to help support their work. However, they are ultimately responsible for any work that is churned out, said Edwin Tong, who is Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Second Minister for Law.
They are also reminded to apply the usual safeguards when they begin adopting Gen AI in their work.
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It would be unethical to simply use materials that a Gen AI tool generates without proper scrutiny, Tong said during a panel discussion at the TechLaw Fest 2024 conference held Wednesday in Singapore.
The panel had pointed to the infamous 2023 case in which New York lawyers had used ChatGPT to generate and submit a legal brief that included citations of court cases that did not exist, along with fake quotes. The lawyers were later sanctioned and fined.
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Qualified human lawyers are the ones dispensing legal advice and cannot be removed from the equation, Tong said, as he cautioned against simply relying on AI or technology to do the work.
Fellow panelist Mike Yeh, Microsoft Asia’s vice president and deputy general counsel for corporate, external, and legal affairs, concurred, noting that part of a lawyer’s learning process is knowing how to fact-check.
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Yeh recommended that AI be used as a first draft, with humans highlighting in red any areas that require further scrutiny, as they would previously in the absence of AI.
He added that gaining an understanding of how Gen AI works and how it can be more effectively used is critical for lawyers to use it responsibly.
To further emphasize the importance of proper AI training, the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) inked a partnership with Microsoft Singapore this week to provide training and resources for legal professionals to more effectively and ethically use Gen AI. The first to be launched is a guide on large language model (LLM) prompt engineering, which includes demonstration videos to help hone such skills specifically for legal contexts and generate more relevant outcomes.
The guide also offers best practices and advice on common pitfalls when using Gen AI tools, with specific use cases such as dispute resolution and corporate law. In addition, a foundational course will be provided to help lawyers gain a broader understanding of Gen AI, including the associated ethical issues.
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People need to be aware of what they are doing and how AI impacts their work, Singapore’s High Court Judge Justice Aedit Abdullah said during the panel discussion. They cannot just point the finger at AI when mistakes happen.
While exploring guidelines that can be provided to lawyers on the use of AI, Singapore initially looked at requiring the disclosure of AI use in their work, he said. However, this may not be effective as AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous and is available even on mobile devices. Focus then pivoted to guidelines that emphasize responsibility, ethics, and proper conduct, he further added. This can be enforced with training that is provided to lawyers, he added.
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The High Court Judge further underscored the importance of instilling values and morals in legal professionals — rather than being prescriptive, on their responsible use of AI. Additionally, there is no turning back, as technology will continue to bring benefits to all organizations.
The ship has sailed for the industry to stay rooted in analog, Tong said, urging the legal community to embrace technology and AI. Noting that his ministry had introduced schemes several years ago to ease the adoption of technology, he said the takeup rate for such programs was lukewarm. The uptick came only during the Covid-19 lockdown, which had compelled many organizations to go digital.
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He pointed to government grants that aim to defray some of the initial costs of adoption, recognizing the need to address key barriers such as the cost to help law firms, especially SMBs, “level up.”
Microsoft’s internal poll revealed that its lawyers gained 32% in task efficiency and 20% in accuracy from using its Gen AI software.
Yeh added: “Our collaboration with SAL will empower lawyers with the necessary skills to use Gen AI solutions in line with their professional obligations.”
SAL CEO Yeong Zee Kin said: “Gen AI is transforming the legal landscape by being an effective partner in the lawyer’s office, helping them automate tasks with a precision and accuracy we have never seen before. This collaboration bridges that potential with the end users so that we equip the entire profession — regardless of practice area — with the tools they need for efficiency and help uphold the highest ethical standards in an increasingly AI-driven world.”
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Global consulting firm PwC also announced partnerships with Harvey and ContractPodAi at the conference, as part of its legal business arm’s efforts to provide Gen AI tools to its legal clientele in Singapore. Harvey offers AI-powered professional services for law, tax, and finance, while ContractPodAi provides a contract and legal document management platform.
Both platforms will enable lawyers to streamline legal processes, enhance decision-making, and deliver legal support, said Eric Chin, director of PwC’s legal business unit, NewLaw. “Lawyers will be able to generate insights and draft recommendations based on large volumes of data, delivering richer information that will enable their legal teams to identify solutions faster,” Chin said.
Harvey’s AI models for legal services are built on various LLMs and custom models that it said have been finetuned for the legal community.
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In May, Singapore announced plans to develop an LLM trained in legal data — named GPT-Legal, and it is slated to deploy in phases starting this month with 75% of local lawyers as users.
Jointly developed by the Singapore Academy of Law (LawNet) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the LLM is trained on legal data from the former’s repository of legal content, which includes Singapore law reports. It will be used to summarize more than 15,000 court judgments during the initial deployment — giving lawyers the ability to conduct research and assess cases that are more likely to be relevant.
GPT-Legal will also be designed with trust and safety features to manage potential instances of hallucinations and assessed with evaluation tools.
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