Generative AI, law schools and assessment: where next?

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI), and its most known form to students at the time of writing, ChatGPT, created a storm in the world of higher education (HE) when it was first launched in November 2022. In particular, the impact of GAI on assessment should not be underestimated. This paper focuses on the opportunities and challenges that GAI presents for law educators and students in a fast-changing world where employers already require AI skills and students may know more than academics. In a first part, what GAI can (and cannot) do will be considered. In a second section, the risks for evaluating students’ work will be analysed, before looking at the opportunities that GAI presents, to rethink assessment methods (in a third section) provided it is complemented by digital literacy, including training on ethical use of the new tools. The conclusion will include thoughts on the relevant challenges that remain in law schools and institutionally but also suggestions to try to overcome them.