I was late to the AI party. In 2019 a legal journal editor asked me a question about AI. I replied “I’m 67 years old and have developed a little expertise in a few areas. At this point in my life it’s too late for me to try to learn about something new and as complicated as AI. I don’t have the time. I’ll leave that for younger, more ambitious lawyers.”

That was then. This is now.

ChatGPT 3.5 was released in November 2022. It and other AI apps are changing the world. I realized I could no longer ignore AI. Since then, learning to use AI has been my top professional priority. It’s just that important.

Skepticism about AI is not only justified—it’s evidence of good judgment. There are indeed pitfalls to AI use. Inept use of AI won’t help you, but my experience has been that in the hands of skilled lawyers with good judgment, AI is essential to obtaining the best results, for one simple reason:

AI is only as good as the question it’s given. This is where senior lawyers excel. Knowing what issue to frame, what clause to focus on, what fact might tip the case—this is precisely what you’ve spent your career developing.

AI can assist. But it still needs someone to think.