Artificial Intelligence
Part I provides the foundational knowledge necessary to understand artificial intelligence (AI) technology in legal contexts. It covers the basic principles of generative AI, explaining how these systems work and why they are particularly relevant to legal practice. You will learn about the evolution from basic AI to large language models (LLMs), understand how these systems process tokens and generate responses, and explore advanced concepts like RAG systems and AI Agents.
Learning Objectives
By the end of Part I, you will be able to:
- Explain the fundamental concepts of generative AI and its potential for legal practice
- Distinguish between different types of AI
- Describe how LLMs process and generate text, including their capabilities and limitations
- Understand the role of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) in enhancing accuracy for legal applications
- Understand and identify the potential uses of AI agents
- Assess whether AI tools are appropriate for specific legal tasks based on their technical capabilities
Self-Assessment Questions
- What are the key characteristics of LLMs that legal practitioners must understand when designing prompts?
- How does Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) address some of the limitations of standalone LLMs?
- What is the difference between pattern recognition and true understanding in AI systems, and why is this distinction important for legal practitioners?
