Toronto-based Thomson Reuters, a global content and technology firm, has unveiled a series of GenAI initiatives aimed at revolutionizing the legal field.
The highlight of these initiatives is the introduction of GenAI in their most sophisticated legal research platform, AI-Assisted Research on Westlaw Precision, now available to U.S. customers, it said in a press release.
This innovative feature assists legal professionals in swiftly finding answers to complex research queries, a product of Thomson Reuters’ proprietary Generative AI Platform and a collaboration with Casetext.
Furthermore, Thomson Reuters announced plans for 2024 to launch an AI assistant, CoCounsel, designed to be the primary interface for all its products equipped with GenAI capabilities. CoCounsel, which it called the world’s first AI legal assistant, will be seamlessly integrated into various Thomson Reuters legal offerings, including Westlaw Precision, Practical Law Dynamic Tool Set, Document Intelligence, and HighQ.
This assistant will be accessible both within these products and on the CoCounsel application, offering customers a variety of GenAI skills to enhance their legal workflows.
David Wong, Chief Product Officer at Thomson Reuters, emphasized the transformative impact of these tools: “Thomson Reuters is redefining legal work with a GenAI-based toolkit, enabling attorneys to gather insights faster and produce superior work. AI-Assisted Research on Westlaw Precision and CoCounsel Core are at the forefront, offering a comprehensive suite of GenAI skills for research and workflow.”
These tools empower attorneys with eight core GenAI skills, such as AI-Assisted Research, deposition preparation, correspondence drafting, database searching, document review, summarization, contract data extraction, and compliance. Thomson Reuters also plans to develop additional GenAI skills tailored to customer needs, all built on a common software framework within their Generative AI Platform.
AI-Assisted Research is particularly notable for its natural language processing capabilities, synthesizing complex legal research queries into concise answers with authoritative references. This tool, drawing on Thomson Reuters’ 150-year legacy of expertise and editorial input, employs Retrieval Augmented Generation to ensure accuracy and prevent fabrications in case names and citations. The company aims to expand these capabilities to international markets, including the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, by 2024.
Andrew Bedigian, counsel at Larson LLP, praised the reliability and trustworthiness of AI-Assisted Research, emphasizing the confidence it provides to lawyers through its thorough sourcing.
Mike Dahn, head of Westlaw Product Management at Thomson Reuters, highlighted the combination of human expertise, technological prowess, and industry-leading content in creating these trusted AI solutions, stating, “This tool enhances, rather than replaces, the role of attorneys, allowing them to work more efficiently and effectively.”
CoCounsel Core represents the commercial evolution of CoCounsel, benefiting from over 4,000 hours of testing and training by more than 1,400 customers since its May launch. This extensive feedback is instrumental in Thomson Reuters’ ongoing innovation journey.
The Thomson Reuters Generative AI Platform, a cloud-native technology featuring an API-first approach, facilitates the rapid development of new GenAI skills. This platform promises a secure, privacy-compliant, and reliable foundation for generative AI development, enabling scalability across various LLM providers.
In January 2024, Thomson Reuters will further expand its GenAI offerings with Practical Law Dynamic Tool Set, providing users with an AI legal assistant that delivers answers in conversational language, validated by trusted Practical Law content from over 650 legal experts.
Thomson Reuters remains committed to responsible AI development, adhering to guidelines ensuring security, trust, and reliability.
