Commentary: The Pitfalls of Seeking AI Advice From Lawyers
Every time Mark Yeo wrote "chatbot" in his CNA commentary, I winced.
Not because he's made some mistake. He's a former Deputy Public Prosecutor, now a director at his own firm. If one were to imagine a legal professional, this is what we would call a legal professional. When he writes about privilege, hallucinated cases, and what clients actually need from counsel, I nod along.
No, I'm thinking to myself: this commentary is a great specimen for what I am about to talk about soon.
In five weeks I'm giving a talk at the SCCE Singapore Regional — "What AI Demands of Compliance Professionals: The Discussion We Are Not Having." Its spine is a simple claim: professionals need two guiding lights to drive safely into AI. One is professional judgement. The other is AI literacy. You need both, because each covers what the other can't see.
Mark's commentary is the clearest example I've found of a sharp lawyer driving with one headlight on.
