Karen Sloan, Reuters ; AI chatbot can pass national lawyer ethics exam
"Popular AI chatbot GPT-4 outperforms most aspiring lawyers on the legal ethics exam required by nearly every state in order to practice law, a new study has found.
GPT-4 answered 74% of the questions correctly on a simulated Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), compared with an estimated 68% average among human test takers nationwide, according to a report released on Thursday by LegalOn Technologies — which sells AI software that reviews contracts...
A spokesperson for the National Conference of Bar Examiners, which develops the MPRE, said that it could not assess the LegalOn report's claims that GPT-4 can pass its ethics test.
"The legal profession is always evolving in its use of technology, and will continue to do so," said National Conference spokesperson Sophie Martin. She added that "attorneys have a unique set of skills that AI cannot currently match."...
“This research demonstrates for the first time that top-performing generative AI models can apply black-letter ethical rules as effectively as aspiring lawyers,” the study reads."
