Category: news and awards

The American Bar Association has responded to ChatGPT. 

The increasing use and fascination of ChatGPT are reminiscent of Wikipedia. I remember in school being told not to use Wikipedia as a source because the author cannot be trusted. We see the legal industry viewing the use of ChatGPT much the same. Even though you input a question or demand, the answer is curated by an untrustworthy and anonymous author – an algorithm.

The ABA’s Take on AI 

The American Bar Association has responded to the legal community’s concerns about the use of AI by adopting Resolution 6043 at its 2023 midyear meeting. In summary, the resolution addresses how leaders should address accountability, transparency, and traceability in artificial intelligence. The resolution states three major components: 

1. Adopt Guidelines 

Using AI as a tool to better accomplish tasks is one thing. To rely on it completely is another. The initial factor is to ensure guidelines are created to maintain a human as the authority over the AI product. For example, there may be copyright and trademark issues at hand if a software engineer uses AI to help them create code for a page. Depending on the application of AI, the code may not be eligible for copyright. Thus rendering any monetization of the engineer’s idea useless. 

2. Be Accountable and Take Reasonable Steps to Mitigate Harm 

The second prong of the resolution calls for entities and organizations to take accountability for their misuse of AI unless they can show that steps were taken to mitigate the harm. This sounds vaguely familiar to an employment attorney trying to defend a discrimination charge by stating that there were policies and steps in place for the alleged victim to have used. Conversely, it is asking companies and businesses to be more proactive about how their employees and leaders use AI tools. 

We know that algorithms can carry biases. We know that there are sets of data and codes that also carry biases. If a company is aware that this kind of activity is occurring, then it is on them to take accountability. For example, Amazon was using an AI-generated program for hiring. The algorithm for that program perpetuated a bias toward women’s applications. This resolution definitively places the blame on the companies and entities that use such programs to help with things like their hiring process. 

3. Document Key Decisions Regarding Use of AI

This final prong of the resolution seems to speak to the developer’s use of AI when curating intellectual property, data sets, designs, coding, etc. Using AI is inevitable and should be used thoughtfully while also making diligent notes of its use. Illinois had been one of the thought leaders implementing strict laws regarding the use of AI. For example, for any biometric data collected, there has to be a series of notices provided to the user about where their data will be stored, how it will be protected, and, hopefully, deleted. They are asking for a similar standard for the use of AI. 

The Reason for the Resolution 

The purpose of this American Bar Association ChatGPT / AI resolution is beyond the scope of using the tool to write an email. Instead, they are considering the production of self-driving cars, medical development in surgeries and medical devices, and autonomous systems. So how does this relate back to legal marketing? It is all about the audience. 

How Resolution 604 Relates to Legal Marketing 

Attorneys do not want the headache of being the brunt of a lawsuit or being the reason for a lawsuit. Using ChatGPT to curate your law firm’s pages means inputting your law firm’s data into a database and relying on an unreliable author to curate your media/content. 

Importantly, that goes against the first prong of the resolution and easily bleeds into the second. How is your firm mitigating the harm of AI if they are letting the marketing department use AI to curate its marketing content? It begs the question, how else are they using AI in their firm? What guidelines are they implementing in one department but not the others? 

The legal industry is heavily reliant on reputation. If you are reputable, then you are referable. If your site does not reflect your reputation, how can you keep relying on those referrals?  

It’s not a new message. We have been writing about this since the initial launch of Chat GPT. The use of AI is a delicate dance. You want to use it as a tool but not rely on it like a religious text. However, as the legal industry continues to explore the use and implication of AI, we start to see more and more legal barriers. 

We also have to consider how Google is reacting to the AI trend. We know that ChatGPT is limited in its scope, and certain industries are trying hard not to let details like their pricing structure fall into the ChatGPT data hole for fear of trademark issues or breach of trade secrets. Many companies are legally asking their employees not to use ChatGPT so that OpenAI does not get information like that stored in its database.

Like the old Wikipedia, ChatGPT is an unreliable author (and regurgitator of information). It can provide great outlines, but its content is repetitive, lacks accuracy, and can be curating material from biased sources which ultimately leaves your reputation in question. The ABA’s resolution lays down the groundwork for how the legal industry needs to frame the use of AI: as a tool but not as the “end all, be all.” 

Blue Seven Content is Attorney Driven, Human Curated 

At Blue Seven Content, we are attorney driven, human-curated. Our writers are well-equipped and experienced to research and include reliable sources that will drive your authority on a subject and increase your site’s credibility. When a reader who needs you views your website, their instinct to trust will help turn that viewer into a client. If you have any questions about ChatGPT or your law firm’s content, reach out to us for a chat today. We are powered by attorneys who understand American Bar Association resolutions and trends with AI and ChatGPT. We’re here to help.

Written by Victoria Lozano – Attorney, Co-Founder & Consultant

The water was clear and blue, which was fitting. Blue Seven Content was born in a beach town, so traveling to another beach was the perfect way to begin the next journey for the company. This year, we decided to attend the Legal Marketing Association’s 2023 conference in Hollywood, FL.

Blue Seven is a growing company, but we (founders Victoria and Allen) made a decision soon after we started the company to grow slowly. After all, you can’t have a company that does only content if your content is less-than-stellar. Growing too fast leads to the inevitable issue of quality control. But recently, we’ve felt ready for the next steps towards growth, even if that just meant laying down the tracks for us to roll on later.

In other words, we expected to go to Florida to make good connections and possibly gain some new business.

We actually didn’t have high expectations going in. We’d been told numerous times that this conference probably wasn’t up our alley, that we’d be wasting money. To be clear, it does cost a chunk of dollars to even attend these events as a vendor, and that’s before factoring in travel, lodging, meals, and entertainment.

But we went for it, and we brought five of our team members along.

I won’t go into every detail of the trip, because the truth is that every single day was a new experience that felt like a good dream. Aside from the warm weather (and the usual Florida showers), there was a sense of accomplishment. When we started this company, we never thought we’d attend a major conference. It never crossed our minds. We’re just a “content” company, after all.

But we went in with an enthusiasm that was undeniable. We all felt it. We had some of our writers with us along with our English to Spanish translator. Our booth was perfectly placed for traffic, and we had great neighbors (shout out to the On the Map Marketing team!) We also met some great people and companies (special thanks to our new friends at Legal Growth Marketing). We’re also glad to finally get to meet Wayne Pollock in person! Those are just a few of the great connections we made.

The event was wonderful. We had a snafu with power at our booth on day one, but that got resolved quickly after some conversations with the LMA and third-party staff. My one word of caution is to read ALL of the fine print. This year, power was supplied by a third-party and it cost $757 for a single outlet. We aren’t the only ones who missed it, and this is something LMA must address moving forward, especially if they want to attract more vendors like us.

Our booth was great, not because it was the best one there, but because it was our booth. We made it happen.

The best part of this event is that there was no pressure to capitalize. This wasn’t a “do or die” event for us. Actually, we’re in such a good spot that no new business was a perfectly acceptable outcome.

What actually happened was that we fully expect a decent chunk of new business to come from the event. We had wonderful, genuine, and in-depth conversations with so many firms and agencies. The conversations touched on their pain points as well as how our content process differs.

Honestly, I think we’ve surprised some people. Nobody expected a company that focuses ONLY on written content to become a viable presence in this industry. But we’re here, and even with the rise of AI and ChatGPT, we’ve doubled in size (not counting any new business that’s coming).

Victoria and Allen could never have done this alone. The team members who were there and those who couldn’t make it this time are the real winners. We’ve gone from a two-person operation in 2020 to a 19-person operation (writers, editors, translators). Our team is special, and they understand the goals of Blue Seven. They are professional writers with various educational backgrounds (educators, lawyers, admin professionals). As Gen Z would say, the vibe is immaculate.

When we had downtime, which wasn’t often, we made it to the pool, beach, or a restaurant. We spent time on our beautiful balcony (we all shared a giant Airbnb overlooking the water). We spring breaked like it was 1999 (with various new aches none of us had years ago and a considerable amount of Advil from walking and standing for 14 hours a day).

Before I wrap this up, I do want to touch on a subject that was heavy on our minds. Florida has become a negative place for those in the LGBTQ+ community, at least from a governmental and policy standpoint. That bothered us. The laws being passed in Florida are the opposite of how we approach things as a company. We almost made the decision not to attend.

BUT…I’m glad we did. Current LMA President Roy Sexton explained it best – there are people in the LGBTQ+ community who work and live in Florida, and they deserve our support. Boycotting the state from these events hurts the ones who can’t get away. In other words, let’s work on changes from within. So, we showed up and showed our support.

We offered some great giveaways at the event, including free lodging for a weekend in Surfside Beach, SC as well as two content packages! We haven’t announced the winners yet, but that’s coming soon.

That’s all, folks. We just wanted to provide a little update on what we’ve been up to, and we have some more posts related to the event that will delve deeper than an update, including conversations we had with attendees about ChatGPT.

Myrtle Beach, SC – August 16, 2021 – Blue Seven Content has been recognized as one of the Top 30 Legal Marketing Companies in 2021 by DesignRush.

DesignRush is a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace that helps connect brands in multiple markets with professional agencies, design companies, content providers, and digital marketers. Their platform lists thousands of agencies, but narrows down specific categories to make it easier for consumers to find the company that meets their needs.

“We’re honored for our agency to have received this recognition,” said Allen Watson, co-founder and CEO of Blue Seven Content. “Our success is squarely due to our writers. Because we focus only on providing content for law firm’s website, we understand how important it is to have the best legal writers in the business.”

Blue Seven Content focuses on providing original, researched, and optimized content for law firm websites. This includes the production of law firm practice area pages, law firm blog posts, law firm FAQ pages, and more. Blue Seven has grown rapidly over the last two years, gaining new clients while also retaining existing clients.

This recognition from DesignRush will inspire Blue Seven Content’s team to continue their growth and excellence moving forward.