The Philippine AI Roadmap and Recent Legislative Developments

On July 3, 2024, the Department of Trade and Industry launched the AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0, aiming to propel the Philippines toward becoming a regional frontrunner in AI utilisation. This roadmap, alongside the newly established Center for AI Research (CAIR), is expected to harness AI's potential and support the country’s social and economic transformation.

NEDA Secretary Balisacan emphasised the roadmap's critical role in achieving these goals. He highlighted that the AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0 will strengthen the government’s capacity for sustainable digital transformation, stimulate local innovation, and enable unprecedented opportunities in the digital economy. This aligns with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, which focuses on job creation and socioeconomic transformation through emerging technologies.

Additionally, the AI Roadmap 2.0 advocates for adopting cutting-edge technological advancements, including generative AI. CAIR aims to position the Philippines as a leader in multiple AI application areas by fostering technological innovation and multidisciplinary research. The centre also prioritises the development of full-time research scientists, engineers, and R&D personnel.

House Bill No. 7396, or the Act Promoting the Development and Regulation of AI in the Philippines, was recently filed in the House of Representatives. This bill seeks to create the Artificial Intelligence Development Authority (AIDA), which will oversee the development and deployment of AI technologies. AIDA's responsibilities include developing a national AI strategy, establishing standards for ethical AI use, and ensuring compliance with AI guidelines. This bill aims to align national priorities with international standards, focusing on data protection, transparency, and responsible AI development.

Data Privacy and Intellectual Property Challenges

While the Philippines' Data Privacy Act provides a foundation for protecting personal data, its application to AI raises new challenges. AI systems often involve automated data processing and big data anonymisation, necessitating AI-specific guidelines to balance innovation with privacy rights. The NPC requires controllers to register data processing systems that involve automated decision-making, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

In terms of intellectual property, AI-generated works present new challenges in authorship and ownership. The current Intellectual Property Code only recognises natural persons as creators, meaning AI-generated works are not protected under existing copyright laws. This raises questions about the allocation of IP rights in AI-assisted creations.

Ethical Considerations and Liability Issues

AI's integration into the legal industry brings significant ethical considerations, particularly in areas such as surveillance and decision-making. Establishing AI-specific ethical guidelines is essential to align AI development with societal values and human rights.

Liability issues also arise with AI. Determining accountability in cases of AI malfunctions or wrongful decisions is complex. Clear standards for accountability in AI systems are necessary, as well as clarification of the roles and responsibilities of AI developers, users, and AI entities.

Impact on Legal Practice and AI Innovations

AI-powered legal research platforms and document review systems are becoming essential in the legal industry. These tools enhance various aspects of legal practice, including improving the speed and accuracy of legal research and simplifying document review processes. AI-powered legal research tools can quickly scan vast databases of statutes, case law, and legal documents, providing relevant results in seconds.

This leads to more efficient legal processes, potentially reducing costs and time for clients and law firms alike. For instance, e-discovery benefits significantly from AI by streamlining the document review process and identifying relevant evidence more efficiently. However, AI also raises questions about the future role of lawyers. Legal education must include AI literacy to prepare future lawyers for a tech-integrated practice.

Moreover, generative AI in the legal profession is creating new opportunities and challenges. Generative AI can assist in drafting legal documents, predicting case outcomes, and even providing legal advice. However, the use of AI and machine learning in the legal industry also brings disadvantages, such as potential biases in AI algorithms and ethical concerns regarding the replacement of human judgment.

Despite these challenges, the potential of AI to revolutionise the legal field is immense. By leveraging AI responsibly and addressing its limitations, the legal industry in the Philippines can achieve greater efficiency and accuracy. The future holds promise as AI continues to evolve, offering innovative solutions that enhance legal practice and improve access to justice.

AI Tools for Filipino Lawyers

In the Philippine context, several AI-powered platforms have emerged to meet the demands of users working in the legal sphere to further optimise their work. The idea is to delegate repetitive low-value tasks to automations which would exponentially hasten the process while freeing legal professionals to deal with high-value tasks. Some of these AI tools include:

1. Anycase.ai

Anycase.ai is an AI-powered legal research platform for legal professionals in the Philippines. It utilises natural language processing and semantic search technology to aid in accessing Philippine laws, jurisprudence, and legal doctrines.

Features include:

• A legal library of Philippine laws and jurisprudence.
• A search interface powered by AI.
• AI-generated case summaries.
• Citation-supported answers to legal queries for building legal arguments.

2. ClickUp

ClickUp is a platform designed to enhance productivity and efficiency for legal professionals. It combines project management features with AI capabilities to support various legal work aspects.

Features include:

• AI-assisted drafting and summarisation of legal documents.
• Task management for tracking cases, scheduling meetings, and optimising workflows.
• Time tracking and billable hours features for invoicing and timesheets.
• Collaboration and communication tools for team alignment.
• Automation of repetitive tasks like emails, memos, and document summaries.

3. Digest AI

Digest provides a powerful AI-driven platform designed to simplify legal research for legal professionals, law students, and legal researchers. Utilising advanced AI technology, Digest PH enables users to efficiently access, analyse, and interpret Philippine laws and jurisprudence.

Features include:

• Has an AI-powered chatbot with instant answers to legal queries with relevant laws, case summaries, and citations.
• Access to a vast library of Philippine Supreme Court decisions and legal materials.
• Case summaries generated by both AI and legal experts for quick insights.
• Advanced search function for pinpointing the most relevant legal information.
• Automated citation generation to support legal arguments with proper references.
• Real-time tracking of case developments and cross-references related rulings.
• Categorisation and tagging of legal cases for simplified organisation.
• Offline access to downloaded legal documents for uninterrupted research.
• User-friendly interface designed for easy navigation on multiple devices.
• Customisable research organisation tools, including bookmarking and collections.

4. Lexagle

Lexagle offers a comprehensive AI-powered platform designed to streamline the entire contract lifecycle for legal professionals. By leveraging artificial intelligence, Lexagle empowers legal teams to efficiently manage contracts from creation to execution and beyond.

Features include:

• Automated contract creation with customisable templates and clause libraries.
• Secure execution of contracts with legally binding electronic signatures.
• Centralised storage and organisation for all contract-related documents.
• Secure cloud storage for confidential contract data.
• Comprehensive audit trail and log for compliance and audit purposes.
• Advanced search capabilities for quick location of specific information within contracts.
• Contract status and progress tracking throughout the lifecycle.
• Streamlined contract negotiations with automated redlining and version comparison.
• Simplified management and tracking of different contract versions.
• Valuable insights from contract data with customisable reports and dashboards.
• Seamless integration with existing CRM systems.

A New Business Model for Law Firms in the Digital Age

The Philippine legal landscape is experiencing a seismic shift, thanks to the rapid advancements in AI. Law firms and legal professionals across the country are recognising the transformative potential of AI in streamlining operations, enhancing efficiency, and delivering superior client service. In particular, AI-powered contract management software is revolutionising the way legal teams handle contracts, from drafting and negotiation to execution and renewal.

At the forefront of this revolution is Lexagle, a leading provider of AI-powered contract management solutions tailored specifically for the Philippine legal market. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by the Philippine legal industry, Lexagle has developed a comprehensive platform designed to empower legal teams and propel them into the future of contract management.

Don't let your firm get left behind in the digital age. Embrace the future of contract management with Lexagle. Book a personalised demo today and discover how our AI-powered solutions can transform your legal operations and make your firm future-proof.