From Dial-Up to Deep Learning: Looking Back and Looking Forward
Can you imagine a time when the internet was foreign, unknown, and unexplored by the common lawyer? For many lawyers, the early 1990s was such a time. The release of the Mosaic web browser on January 23, 1993, introduced the internet to the general public and popularized the World Wide Web. Mosaic’s features made the web more visually appealing and accessible. Mosaic’s graphical user interface allowed users to visually navigate the web using icons, buttons and menus, rather than text-based commands. Images were integrated with their accompanying text, not shown in a separate window. Clickable hyperlinks allowed navigation between web pages. The intuitive interface and easy installation process appealed to a broader audience, including those who were not technically inclined, and earned Mosaic the title of “user friendly.” Mosaic influenced further developments such as web browsers (e.g., Netscape Navigator in 1994 and Internet Explorer in 1995), e-commerce (e.g., Amazon founded in 1994 and eBay founded in 1995), online communities (e.g., GeoCities founded in 1994), and search engines (e.g., Yahoo! Search in 1994).
Against this backdrop, in 1996 the NCBA’s Administrative Law Section asked, “How could lawyers use the burgeoning new internet in their practices?” The Administrative Law Section answered the question with a two-part series published in its newsletter and written by Patricia Langelier, librarian for UNC-Chapel Hill’s Institute of Government, titled “Legal Resources on the Internet—A Selective Guide.” The article covered “the basics” in Part I and took a deeper dive into specifics in Part II. Part I of the article chronicled the general features of the internet beginning with a discussion of the use of electronic mail via the internet – an almost funny concept given that email is now ever-present in our working lives. But in 1996, knowing that you could use the internet to compose email at your computer, attach files to the email, and send it to anyone with an internet connection within minutes, rather than days, was new information for the uninitiated. Email accounts were not common in the workplace.
Part I also described how to get access to the internet. First, you needed an account with an internet service provider, such as InfiNet, Interpath, and NandO.net for the 919-area code. Next, you needed the requisite software (i.e., TurboGopher, WSGopher, Mosaic, or Netscape) along with the requisite (now vintage) hardware (i.e., a minimum 386sX25 computer and a 9,600 bps [dial-up] modem speed). Part I discussed general uses for the internet and warned that although the internet could be used as a “fishing expedition” to conduct preliminary research and turn up useful sources, the internet did not contain all relevant information on a topic and printed or CD-ROM sources could still be needed.
Part II drilled deeper into specific law-related websites or services for the internet, such as the “Technology Update,” an online column by the ABA Law Practice Management Section. Electronic law journals could be located online, as could indexes on legal topics that included Supreme Court decisions, federal legislation and state laws. Because legal research via “books” was still customary in 1996, the internet included an online library catalog titled, “AALLNET’s List of Law Library Catalogs,” which provided a centralized location to search for materials held by different law libraries.
Today, the 1996 Administrative Lawyer newsletter article reads like a time capsule for the novice acquainting herself with a new internet technology. Yet the article is also instructive for today’s new technologies because it addresses the fundamental point about how lawyers educate one another about new technology starting with the rudimentary basics and then adding details, a few at a time.
Twenty-nine years ago, it was hard to imagine how the internet would lead to our ubiquitous internet reality with online shopping, emailing, social media, entertainment streaming services, video calling, instant messaging, smartphones, and cloud computing. We’ve come a long way since Mosaic made the internet accessible to the masses in 1993.
This “long way” has led us to GenAI. There are parallels between the early days of the “lawyer and the internet” and the “lawyer and GenAI.” In 1996, lawyers were warned that the internet could not be trusted to provide all relevant information on a topic. Today, lawyers are warned that the answers obtained from a GenAI source must be verified.
Technological changes will continue to impact the legal profession. Today’s educational articles on GenAI may likely seem “quaint” and potentially naïve twenty-nine years from now. Where will the GenAI technology be 29 years from now? Will today’s articles on GenAI be interesting time capsules? Or will they also contain important lessons learned?
While there is irony in seeking guidance from a GenAI resource on these questions, Microsoft CoPilot had this to say in response to prompts on this topic:
Projecting 29 years into the future is a fascinating exercise. Given the pace of technological advancement, we might see innovations we can barely imagine today.
Potential Developments in 29 Years:
-
- Advanced AI Integration: AI will likely become even more sophisticated, with more seamless and integrated tools across all professional and personal activities. Verification processes will evolve to ensure AI-generated content is reliable and accurate.
- Quantum Computing: Quantum computers could revolutionize data processing and problem-solving, creating more powerful AI models and tools.
- Ethics and Regulation: As AI continues to evolve, ethical considerations and regulations will become increasingly important, shaping how technology is used and developed.
- Human-AI Collaboration: AI may become an even more integral part of human decision-making, with humans and AI systems working together in ways that are now hard to envision.
Historical Accounts and Lessons Learned:
-
- Historical Perspective: Future articles on AI will provide valuable historical perspectives, showcasing the evolution and impact of AI on society, much like how we look back at the early days of the internet.
- Lessons Learned: These accounts will likely contain important lessons learned, highlighting successes and failures, and guiding future developments. Key themes may include the importance of ethical considerations, data integrity, and the need for continuous learning and adaptation.
Continued Relevance:
While some aspects may become historical footnotes, the core lessons about verifying information, ensuring ethical use, and the need for human oversight will remain relevant.
So, whether as historical accounts or crucial lessons, future articles on AI will continue to shape how we understand and interact with technology.
The journey from the early days of the internet to the present GenAI era chronicles a continuous theme of adaptation and learning. The NCBA’s efforts in 1996 to guide lawyers through the emerging internet landscape are mirrored today in the push to understand how GenAI fits into our legal practices. Just as the internet transformed the legal profession in ways that were unimaginable three decades ago, GenAI likewise holds the promise to reshape our future. The lessons from 1996 remind lawyers that each technological leap brings both opportunities and challenges. By approaching new technologies with curiosity and caution, lawyers can harness technologies’ potential and maintain rigorous standards of verification and ethical practice. Moving forward, the historical accounts of the internet and the developing GenAI narratives will continue to offer valuable insights and guide our future journey.