Today (May 4), LexisNexis revealed the beta launch of Lexis+ AI, a generative AI-driven tool designed to revolutionize how users of its platform conduct research and draft documents or communicate with clients. The generative document drafting feature guides customers throughout the legal drafting process, generating an initial draft of a legal document or client email, with users able to modify the language and tone using a prompt.
In a pre-release briefing, LexisNexis’ Chief Product Officer Jeff Pfeifer emphasized the privacy by design approach used in building the new solution. All user interactions are unique, and Lexis+ AI doesn’t use front-end application prompts for training or refinement. Pfeifer added that Lexis+ AI adheres to RELX’s responsible AI principles, with RELX being Lexis’ parent company.
Two customer engagement programs are underway around Lexis+ AI’s beta launch. One group will receive sneak previews of product development and access to AI webinars and roundtables. The other group, consisting of Am Law 50 law firms like Baker McKenzie, Foley & Lardner, and Reed Smith, is collaborating on product development using the beta version. These firms possess the necessary resources and infrastructure for development and testing.
Although Lexis+ AI doesn’t utilize external citations and its content is limited to Lexis’ database, it cannot guarantee complete absence of hallucinations. However, if the solution fails to understand a prompt, it will request additional information. Hallucinations have been a problem with tools like ChatGPT, which occasionally return entirely incorrect or fictitious answers. Lexis+ AI aims to minimize this issue by using appropriate prompts and offering pre-loaded prompt questions, which are being explored with beta clients.
The launch of Lexis+ AI was anticipated, as Lexis has long worked with extractive AI and Lexis+ already employs extractive AI. Additionally, the company faced pressure to introduce its generative AI offering following the launch of Casetext’s GPT4-based legal assistant CoCounsel in March.
