New research from DISCO reveals gaps in generative AI acceptance while underscoring its potential benefits for enterprises and sectors like healthcare and legal
AUSTIN, Texas — August 1, 2023 — DISCO (NYSE: LAW), a leader in AI-enabled legal technology, today announced the results of a commissioned study revealing contrasting sentiments around the implementation of generative AI across regulated industries like legal, healthcare, education and finance. Revealingly, the poll showed that 62% of respondents have yet to implement any generative AI tools for a work-related task over the past six months, an indication that there’s still considerable room for adoption across numerous industries and business functions.
The research also illustrates the need for organizations to develop key considerations around privacy and data governance during the development and implementation of generative AI technologies, particularly within highly regulated industries like finance, healthcare, education and legal. To bridge the gap between consumer comfortability and actual adoption, privacy measures and bias mitigation techniques will be required to ensure control and transparency throughout the AI integration process.
“Organizations and global enterprises are increasingly starting to realize the many ways in which generative AI will be able to help drive business transformation. In the legal sector, this includes implementing new tools that help lawyers and law firms augment discovery, litigation, and document review,” said Melanie Antoon, DISCO’s Senior Vice President of Professional Services. “However, while generative AI holds immense potential to transform everyday work processes, there remains a notable lack of viable products in the market for professionals to use. By creating Cecilia, DISCO aims to give legal professionals an advanced solution that empowers them to streamline legal review processes and focus more on the business of practicing law.”
Disparities Between Acceptance of AI in Regulated Industries and Consumer Adoption
The survey results highlight a compelling point of view regarding the contrasting perspectives on generative AI adoption.
- When asked about their comfort levels with the utilization of generative AI in specific sectors, 36% of respondents expressed openness to its use in healthcare, 29% in finance, 33% in education and 21% in legal.
- However, 39% of respondents expressed hesitancy towards AI utilization in regulated industries, emphasizing the importance of addressing privacy concerns.
- Surprisingly, 62% of respondents have not used any generative AI tools in the last six months to perform a work-related task. Additionally, 38% of respondents claim not to use any generative AI tools in their personal lives, including virtual assistants and chatbots.
The Road to Confidence – Prioritizing Privacy and Ethical Considerations
Privacy and security emerged as the primary concern among respondents regarding generative AI in regulated industries.
- 56% of respondents expressed high levels of worry. Following closely behind were bias and ethical concerns.
- 65% cited guaranteed human management as the top preference to bolster trust and confidence in adopting generative AI in regulated industries.
- Additionally, 48% of respondents sought regulatory oversight and transparency as crucial factors in instilling confidence in generative AI utilization.
By addressing these core preferences, industries can build a foundation of trust with consumers, ultimately encouraging the responsible and successful integration of mature generative AI solutions.
Embracing Change – The Legal Profession’s Journey
Within the legal industry, the survey's insights offer guidance on potential acceptable uses of generative AI. Functions such as record keeping/documentation (39%), citing past cases (35%), general legal advice (28%), and drafting legal documents/contracts (28%) garnered notable acceptance.
With the advent of new generative AI solutions like Cecilia, the potential for the legal industry to significantly improve legal review processes becomes evident. Such AI models understand nuanced legal contexts, make accurate predictions, and continuously learn and improve, offering unprecedented assistance in ediscovery.
Methodology:
The DISCO survey was conducted by Dynata in June 2023, targeting 1,000 general U.S.-based consumers over 18 years of age.