Generative Artificial Intelligence and its ethical considerations in law: An exploratory valuation on practice

Abstract

Following the Fourth Industrial Revolution, practical ethical knowledge must be adapted to global dynamics, including the appropriate use of Generative Artificial Intelligence. This research sought to measure the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence by students and professors in their work related to the study of law and the practice of litigation, and to identify some challenges within the framework of professional ethics. A survey comprised of 24 subcomponents was administered to 63 participants: 54 law students and 9 law professors from the Simón Bolívar University in Cúcuta, Colombia. This pilot study measured the variables of Conceptual Appropriation, Appropriate Use, and Ethical Perception, according to gender, age, and professional experience. The results confirm both the usefulness and risks of Generative Artificial Intelligence, suggesting interesting possibilities for a potential large-scale application of the instrument, as it allows for the inference of specific critiques regarding the ethical use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for academic and disciplinary tasks in law. Despite the limitations of the sample size, the instrument is effective in measuring the variables explored and on a large scale could contribute to the transformation of law and its teaching.