Elwood launches claiming to be Real AI for Law
Elwood is the latest AI for Law start-up to launch on the burgeoning Legal Technology market.
Elwood is the brainchild of serial Law Tech entrepreneur Sidney James. I sat down with Sidney to discuss his latest venture and find out what was “real” about Elwood compared to other AI for Law offerings on the market.
Me: It’s good to see you again Sidney. I’m excited to hear all about your latest venture, Elwood.
James: Good to see you again too, Brian. And very happy to tell you all about Elwood.
What does Elwood AI do?
Me: Tell us what Elwood does?
James: It is ChatGPT for law but with a difference.
Me: What is the difference?
James: This is the exciting bit. It is not just AI left to its own devices but it is augmented with real live human lawyers!
Me: Wow! So how does that work in practice? If I was using Elwood where would the human lawyers come into play.
AI Augmented with Real Life Lawyers
James: It has become clear that the main danger of using ChatGPT is hallucinations. No one has been able to overcome this problem. LexisNexis falsely claimed their new AI product was hallucination free but it soon became clear that was not the case. Lawyers relying on ChatGPT without verifying its error prone output have got themselves into a lot of trouble before the courts. Some law firms are, understandably, saying they won’t be using GenAI because of this. This is where Elwood AI comes into its own and stands apart from everything else on the Legal Tech market.
Me: Do tell me more!
James: When you ask Elwood AI a question each and every answer comes with a clear health warning: “This answer may contain hallucinations. Please do not use it for or as legal advice without checking its accuracy. Elwood can do that for you. Press here for verification by an Elwood lawyer.”
Me: What happens next?
James: The question (or prompt as it is known in GenAI parlance) and the ChatGPT answer is e-mailed to one of our real live Elwood lawyers who will research the point of law or review the draft document or check the summary (as the case may be) and respond with either (a) confirmation that the ChatGPT answer is correct; or, more often than not, (b) an amended and correct answer which can be relied on without concern of hallucinations.
Me: That’s amazing. No one else is doing this are they?
James: Correct. No one. Elwood is unique in the Legal AI space in offering this human intervention.
Elwood AI is the Antithesis of Harvey AI
Me: Why have you called it Elwood.
James: Because it is the antithesis of Harvey. No one really knows what Harvey does and it is named after an imaginary rabbit! In the film Harvey the real life human (played by James Stewart) was called Elwood P. Dowd. Thus we have Elwood, AI that has real live human lawyers in the mix and not just an imaginary rabbit! Harvey are hiring lawyers to find them use cases. We are hiring lawyers to give you actual reliable answers to whatever your use case may be.
Me: Are you sure Harvey is called after the imaginary rabbit in that film?
James: Well, I certainly hope it isn’t called after Hurricane Harvey. That devastated Texas and Louisiana in 2017!
Big Law will want Elwood AI
Me: Who are your target customers?
James: Definitely Big Law. They have the money to burn on AI as they all try and prove they are one step ahead of each other. And my last two ventures into Legal Tech were unfortunately not wonderful successes: One (Loo Law) direct to consumers of law; and the other (LawHouse) direct to individual lawyers. Big Law is where the AI gravy train is at, as Harvey has clearly demonstrated. So that is where I am now directing all of my attention with Elwood AI.
Me: Any particular Big Law firms in your sights?
James: CMS immediately spring to mind given their interview with the ‘Orange Rag’ just this past week. They have signed up to Harvey and other AI law products as part of a ‘portfolio approach‘ to AI. Once they hear about Elwood AI they are bound to want to add us to their portfolio as they keep their options open looking for a GenAI product that might actually work. Addleshaw Goddard is another law firm that have gone all in on GenAI but by compiling pictographs of countless use cases that their lawyers would like to see in practice with no real hope of that ever happening. With our augmented real life lawyers added to ChatGPT, Elwood AI can give them a solution to any use case they may have. GenAI on its own simply can’t do that.
Elwood Lawyers replacing Big Law Lawyers
Me: But these Big Law firms all have lots of lawyers. Why would they want Elwood lawyers to help them?
James: The main argument by the GenAI in law evangelists is that ChatGPT is like a junior associate whose work you need to check. Imagine if you didn’t need to check that work because Elwood had already done that for you. Elwood lawyers cost a lot less than Big Law lawyers (we use only offshore lawyers who have no concept of city law rates). Suddenly Big Law don’t have to pay for expensive junior associates to do the work or expensive partners to check the output, they just have to ask Elwood.
Me: Brilliant! Reminds me of ‘Ask Jeeves‘! I’m sure Big Law will be knocking down your door.
James: My door is always open so no need for them to do that!
With that I wished Sidney all the best with Elwood AI which really is innovative. The first AI law product augmented by real life lawyers. Why has no one thought of this before?
Image credit: Harvey (1950 film) © Universal Pictures
