Tech beckons and the legal sector is responding

TechLaw.Fest 2024 was abuzz with new deals, product launches and conversations around AI SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, October 8, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A record 1,746 attendees from 28 countries and territories gathered for the two-day TechLaw.Fest event, held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on 11 and 12 September 2024. This annual event, held since 2018, is organised by Singapore’s Ministry of Law and the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), bringing together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, lawyers and policymakers to debate and address the challenges and opportunities stemming from technological disruption in legal services.

The discussions were complemented by a legal technology exhibition, where innovators showcased the latest advancements in legal technology, and visitors engaged in tech talk stage sessions. The focus this year was on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming legal work and practice. Close to 130 speakers addressed issues such as the impact of AI on creativity, the fair use of foundational models, and the future of private law. Experts compared AI regulations across jurisdictions, including the EU and China, and discussed global trends and their influence on regional AI governance. The sessions also covered the dangers of deepfakes and misinformation.

Alliances

A slew of collaborations between government bodies, private law firms and technology companies were inked during the event:
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by SAL and Microsoft Singapore to curate and develop resources to help the legal profession use GenAI more effectively and ethically. Lawyers will be trained to structure clear, precise prompts to generate accurate and relevant outcomes.
• SAL and IMDA signed an MoU to modernise legal processes and enhance the delivery of legal services, starting with an e-Apostille service, available from 2025.
• Rajah & Tann announced a partnership with legal tech startup Harvey to develop the firm’s GenAI capabilities. The integration of Harvey’s AI platform aims to help streamline legal tasks such as drafting, contract review and analysis, summarising legal documents and correspondence.
• Global consulting firm PwC also announced partnerships with Harvey and ContractPodAi as part of its legal business arm’s efforts to provide GenAI tools to its legal clientele in Singapore.
• Harvey has also partnered with the Singapore judiciary to explore AI-powered services in the Singapore Courts, with a special focus on the Small Claims Tribunal. The AI platform will offer AI-driven translation services in Malay, Tamil and Chinese to claimants and respondents in Small Claims Tribunal cases.

New products launch

TLF also served as the platform for several significant announcements, including:

(1) Copilot for Singapore Law Firms: Singapore’s Ministry of Law and Lupl jointly launched the ‘Copilot for SG law firms’ module for the Legal Technology Platform (LTP), integrating the AI capabilities of Copilot for Microsoft 365 into the LTP. This latest integration enables LTP users to incorporate generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) into their daily matter management and workflows to plan, organise and manage their work.
(2) Prompt Engineer Guide: SAL and Microsoft Singapore launched a guide to help the legal profession cultivate effective prompt engineering skills for legal contexts. To complement the guide, SAL will also run a foundational course to give lawyers a broader understanding of GenAI, along with specific skills such as prompt engineering and related ethical considerations.
(3) e-Apostille Service: This new online service eliminates the need for users to present physical documents to SAL for authentication. Instead, they can upload documents online for digital verification via the SAL Legalisation Portal
(https://legalisation.sal.sg/). Singapore is among the first countries in the world to authenticate public documents digitally through the e-Apostille Framework.

After a successful 2024, TechLaw.Fest will expand in 2025 with planned node events in Asia and London, before returning to Singapore on 10-11 September at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

A Ravikrishnan
Singapore Academy of Law
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