South African artificial intelligence (AI) consulting company Deep Learning Café has launched an AI-powered tool that is able to sort through large volumes of data to find specific search phrases, improving the efficiency of document analysis for legal use.

This is particularly useful for smaller law firms that will be able to take on larger cases that require more research and resources, Deep Learning Café founder Dries Cronje says.

Law firms have traditionally been slow to adapt to new technology, with many fearing that it will replace key roles within the legal profession. However, automation can be used to help lawyers save time and resources, he says.

"Legal tech presents new opportunities for smaller law firms; from reviewing documents, contracts and case research, to improved team collaboration through shared workspaces and collections, it will allow them to take on a larger scope of work. With this in mind, Deep Learning Café has launched Doc-Insight, an AI tool built to help lawyers make sense of the huge amounts of data associated with the legal profession."

Doc-Insight uses natural-language processing to sort through large volumes of data to find specific search phrases.

“Unlike a simple keyword search, our system finds phrases with similar semantic meaning, making it easy to find relevant information in a given context. Our main aim is to improve the efficiency of document analysis for legal use using machines to review documents and flag them as relevant to a particular case," explains Cronje.

Apart from its semantic search feature, the AI-powered product can extract key information relevant to specific cases, as well as compile notes into collections for easy reference, he notes.

“Using cloud technology, we are able to help clients process an overwhelming number of documents and extract the information they need. From legal research and case preparation to predicting legal outcomes, Doc-Insight can integrate into the existing business solutions of a firm and be customised to suit specific needs."

Being AI-powered, Doc-Insight can be trained to scan through thousands of court documents and historical case files, searching for precedence and applicable laws in a matter of minutes. This process would usually take around two weeks without a digital solution, says Cronje.

"Businesses across South Africa are actively piloting AI within their organisations, experimenting with a range of different technologies, such as chatbots, virtual assistants and image recognition," he notes.