LexisNexis is offering new particulars right now on its collaboration with Microsoft to supply authorized professionals AI-powered merchandise and capabilities instantly throughout the Microsoft 365 ecosystem that’s usually the middle of their workflows.
In a briefing yesterday, Jeff Pfeifer, chief product officer, Canada, UK and USA, at LexisNexis, revealed new details about the merchandise being developed by means of the LexisNexis-Microsoft collaboration, all of that are centered on integrating generative AI capabilities into the authorized product ecosystem that’s centered in Microsoft merchandise.
Whereas a few of right now’s information builds on earlier bulletins, LexisNexis additionally introduced new merchandise coming down the pike. Particularly, the corporate introduced 4 methods wherein it’s collaborating with Microsoft:
Lexis+ will get Azure OpenAI. In Might, LexisNexis introduced the launch of Lexis+ AI, a product that makes use of giant language fashions (LLMs) to reply authorized analysis questions, summarize authorized points, and generate drafts of paperwork reminiscent of demand letters or consumer emails. Now, LexisNexis is rolling out the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to clients of Lexis+.
“We’re leveraging the OpenAI for Azure infrastructure to have the ability to assist particular workflow duties in analysis, a few of that are already deployed,” Pfeifer instructed me. “Lexis+, for instance, is now leveraging OpenAI for Azure infrastructure to energy improved recommended searches to our purchasers.”
Lexis Join will get launch date. In Might, LexisNexis introduced the preview launch of Lexis Join, a authorized consumption and matter administration product that works inside Microsoft Groups and makes use of conversational AI assistants to assist ship solutions extra rapidly. Now, the corporate says that Lexis Join will probably be commercially obtainable within the third quarter of this yr, with generative AI capabilities added by yr finish.
Lexis Create launches in U.S. Launched earlier this yr within the UK, Lexis Create (pictured above) is right now being formally launched to the U.S. market. Lexis Create is an “clever” doc drafting resolution constructed into Microsoft Phrase. Inside Phrase, customers have direct entry to LexisNexis content material together with Sensible Steering, Market Requirements, Shepard’s Citations, AI-powered clause intelligence, and different instruments. Whereas the product is out there now, extractive and generative AI enhancements will probably be added in the course of the the rest of the yr.
“The Create expertise that exists right now primarily focuses on proofreading capabilities, bringing Lexis+ content material to the purpose of workflow, and a sequence of drafting enablers that help the lawyer in drafting,” Pfeifer mentioned. “Nevertheless it doesn’t but at the moment have generative AI drafting capabilities within the resolution. With what we’re asserting right now, it would introduce these capabilities to Lexis Create and produce the drafting capabilities that you simply noticed within the launch of Lexis+ AI again in Might on to the purpose of workflow exercise in Phrase and Outlook.”
Lexis broadcasts Create Plugin for Microsoft 365 Copilot. When Microsoft 365 Copilot launches subsequent yr, this plugin will carry LexisNexis authorized knowledge, citations and analytics into Copilot for use with its generative AI performance to draft, edit and validate paperwork inside Microsoft Phrase.
“Copilot brings a set of further guided activity exercise capabilities,” Pfeifer mentioned, “so one may, for instance, be instructed to take a look at further data or be assigned workflow duties that comply with alongside a prescribed set of actions.”
For legislation corporations and authorized departments that wish to benefit from these new capabilities, Pfeifer emphasised that they’ll want Microsoft Workplace variations from 2019 or later, so corporations which might be planning improve schedules might wish to take that into consideration. “A lot of the advantages which might be obtainable from the newer technology of options, together with generative AI and Copilot capabilities, all require later generations of Microsoft options,” Pfeifer mentioned.
Pfeifer mentioned that he believes it will be important for LexisNexis to refine these merchandise by offering preview entry to clients. So, whereas they principally won’t be launched commercially till later this yr, LexisNexis is making them obtainable selectively to clients on a preview foundation in order that they will counsel further methods of creating or refining the merchandise.
As I beforehand reported, a type of preview clients is Microsoft’s Company, Exterior and Authorized Affairs (CELA) division, which signed on as the primary preview buyer to check and assist additional develop Lexis Join. Since then, a number of different authorized departments have signed on as preview clients.
In buyer testing thus far of the Lexis+ AI product, Pfeifer mentioned that he has seen better involvement of extra senior companions and determination makers that might be typical for a product rollout. “I believe that’s reflective of normal curiosity and understanding about what’s occurring within the house and what’s occurring within the house,” he mentioned.
He mentioned that after LexisNexis introduced its AI Insider program earlier this yr, greater than 1,000 corporations signed up the primary week and greater than 8,000 have joined to this point.
“A significant goal of this announcement between LexisNexis and Microsoft is to substantiate the collaboration on this growth alongside a selected set of goal dates in order that clients can perceive, in the event that they’re making choices to improve staple items like Workplace or different product components inside their infrastructure, that they’ll see a well-developed ecosystem of capabilities from LexisNexis which might be designed to align with the investments that they’re making extra broadly in Microsoft merchandise,” Pfeifer mentioned.
