Category «Legal Technology»

The Case For Large Language Model Optimism in Legal Research From A Law & Technology Librarian

The emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs) in legal research signifies a transformative shift. This article by Sean Harrington critically evaluates the advent and fine-tuning of Law-Specific LLMs, such as those offered by Casetext, Westlaw, and Lexis. Unlike generalized models, these specialized LLMs draw from databases enriched with authoritative legal resources, ensuring accuracy and relevance. Harrington highlights the importance of advanced prompting techniques and the innovative utilization of embeddings and vector databases, which enable semantic searching, a critical aspect in retrieving nuanced legal information. Furthermore, the article addresses the ‘Black Box Problem’ and explores remedies for transparency. It also discusses the potential of crowdsourcing secondary materials as a means to democratize legal knowledge. In conclusion, this article emphasizes that Law-Specific LLMs, with proper development and ethical considerations, can revolutionize legal research and practice, while calling for active engagement from the legal community in shaping this emerging technology.

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Subjects: AI, KM, Law Librarians, Legal Research, Legal Research Training, LEXIS, Search Engines, Search Strategies, Westlaw

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, August 26, 2023

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: Potential New York Times lawsuit could force OpenAI to wipe ChatGPT and start over; Health Data Breach Lawsuits Surge as Cyberattacks Keep Climbing; Biden administration unveils new crypto tax reporting rules; and Imposter scams are the top U.S. fraud.

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Subjects: AI, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Email Security, Financial System, Health, Legal Research

We Found 650,000 Ways Advertisers Label You

If you spend any time online, you probably have some idea that the digital ad industry is constantly collecting data about you, including a lot of personal information, and sorting you into specialized categories so you’re more likely to buy the things they advertise to you. But in a rare look at just how deep—and weird—the rabbit hole of targeted advertising gets, Investigative Data Journalist Jon Keegan and Visualizations Engineer Joel Eastwood of the The Markup analyzed a database of 650,000 of these audience segments, newly unearthed on the website of Microsoft’s ad platform Xandr. The trove of data indicates that advertisers could also target people based on sensitive information like being “heavy purchasers” of pregnancy test kits, having an interest in brain tumors, being prone to depression, visiting places of worship, or feeling “easily deflated” or that they “get a raw deal out of life.”

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Subjects: Big Data, Civil Liberties, Competitive Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data Mining, E-Commerce, Health, Privacy

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, August 19, 2023

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: National Archives will make its AI use case inventory public; Data Breaches and Lawyers: Highlights from IBM’s 2023 Report; Microsoft limits use of AI Services in upcoming Services Agreement update; and Two Women Accuse Tile of Marketing Its Devices as Stalking Aids.

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Subjects: AI, Cybercrime, Cyberlaw, Cybersecurity, Government Resources, KM, Legal Research

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, August 6, 2023

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: Canon warns of Wi-Fi security risks when discarding inkjet printers; New Attack Impacts Major AI Chatbots; U.S. Hunts Chinese Malware That Could Disrupt American Military Operations; and New Attack Impacts Major AI Chatbots.

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Subjects: AI, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, KM, Privacy

LLRX July 2023 Issue

Articles and Columns for July 2023 Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO) 2023 – As stated by Ethereum, “a DAO is a collectively-owned, blockchain-governed organization working towards a shared mission.” Marcus P. Zillman features resources on how DAOs can impact business operations, identifies challenges to participation, and delivers a diverse bibliography of NFT resources that includes governance, regulation, …

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Subjects: KM

How book-banning campaigns have changed the lives and education of librarians

Nicole A. Cooke, Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and a Professor at the School of Library and Information Science, at the University of South Carolina, identifies the significant and socially charged work of librarians who are defending the rights of readers and writers in the battles raging across the U.S. over censorship, book challenges and book bans. Cooke states, “as long as there have been book challenges, there have been those who defend intellectual freedom and the right to read freely. Librarians and library workers have long been crucial players in the defense of books and ideas. At the 2023 annual American Library Association Conference, scholar Ibram X. Kendi praised library professionals and reminded them that “if you’re fighting book bans, if you’re fighting against censorship, then you are a freedom fighter.”

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Subjects: Communication Skills, Education, Free Speech, KM, Legal Research, Librarian Resources, Libraries & Librarians

Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, July 22, 2023

Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex and wide ranging ways technology is used to compromise and diminish our privacy and online security, often without our situational awareness. Four highlights from this week: 81% of Americans unaware digital health apps can sell personal data; How NIST is helping to guide the government conversation on AI; You may deactivate anyone’s WhatsApp account with a simple email; and The scary world of online behavioral advertising.

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Subjects: Big Data, Cybersecurity, Data Mining, E-Government, Email, Government Resources, Healthcare, Privacy, United States Law
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