AI Lawyer: Smarter Than ChatGPT for Legal Questions

Swiss Legal Tech Startup “Silex” Lands Top 3 in ZKB Pioneer Prize, Offering Reliable AI Legal Answers Unlike ChatGPT

Lausanne, Switzerland – May 30, 2025 – In a world increasingly reliant on Artificial Intelligence, accuracy and reliability are paramount – especially when it comes to legal matters. Two Swiss legal professionals have stepped up to address the shortcomings of widely-used AI chatbots like ChatGPT, developing “silex,” an AI specifically designed for Swiss legal inquiries. Silex recently secured a spot in the Top 3 of the prestigious ZKB Pioneer Prize, earning the startup CHF 10,000 in recognition of it’s innovative approach.

(Image: A visually appealing graphic showcasing the Silex logo alongside the ZKB Pioneer Prize logo. Consider an image of the founders, Kyriaki Bongard and Zoé Berry.)

The Problem with AI & the Law: “Garbage In, Garbage Out”

while ChatGPT has captured public attention with its conversational abilities, its performance in complex legal scenarios often falls short. The core issue? ChatGPT lacks access to crucial, up-to-date swiss legal databases, including federal court decisions and specialized legal literature.

“ChatGPT’s output is only as good as its input,” explains Kyriaki Bongard, a lawyer and co-founder of ex nunc, the company behind Silex. “And when it comes to legal issues, it frequently fails. The principle of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ truly applies.”

This realization spurred Bongard and tax expert Zoé Berry to create a solution – an AI powered not by general knowledge, but by a solid foundation of Swiss legal expertise.

Silex: AI Built for Swiss Law

Founded in 2023 in Lausanne, ex nunc, now a nine-person team led by Bongard, Berry, and AI specialist Thomas Sèze, developed Silex to address this critical gap. Silex is designed for both legal professionals and individuals seeking reliable legal information.

“Lawyers today still work very old-fashioned,” says Zoé Berry. “They often spend meaningful time searching for answers to legal questions in archives, libraries, or past judgments – with no guarantee of success. Silex aims to dramatically simplify this process.”

Key features of silex include:

Swiss Law Focus: Silex is specifically trained on and constantly updated with all sources of Swiss law, including rulings from the federal Supreme Court and cantonal courts.
Structured Answers & Citations: Users receive clear, concise answers to thier legal questions, accompanied by relevant legal references for verification.
Accuracy & Reliability: Unlike ChatGPT,Silex is designed to provide trustworthy information grounded in established legal precedent.

Why ChatGPT Falls Short: The “Hallucination” Problem

bongard is critical of ChatGPT’s tendency to fabricate information when faced with uncertainty. “ChatGPT will never* say ‘I don’t no,'” she stated in a recent interview with RTS. “Instead, it will simply ‘hallucinate’ an answer, making up information that is often unreliable and potentially damaging.”

This inherent flaw makes ChatGPT unsuitable for legal applications where accuracy is non-negotiable. Silex, conversely, prioritizes providing accurate, verifiable information, even if it means acknowledging the limits of its knowledge.

looking Ahead: The Future of Legal Tech in Switzerland

The ZKB Pioneer Prize recognition is a significant milestone for ex nunc and Silex.The CHF 10,000 award will be used to further develop the AI’s capabilities and expand its reach within the Swiss legal community.

Silex represents a growing trend in legal tech – the development of specialized

What are the key differences between using ChatGPT and a dedicated AI legal tool for legal research?

The Limitations of ChatGPT for Legal Advice

While ChatGPT is a powerful large language model (LLM), relying on it for legal advice is risky. ChatGPT excels at generating human-like text but lacks the specialized knowlege, reasoning capabilities, and access to current legal databases required for accurate and reliable legal guidance. it can hallucinate details, provide outdated rulings, and doesn’t understand the nuances of jurisdiction or individual case facts. Using ChatGPT for law related tasks can lead to misinterpretations and possibly harmful decisions. It’s a generalist, not a legal professional.

Dedicated AI Legal Tools: A New Era of legal Tech

Several AI-powered platforms are specifically designed for legal applications, offering capabilities far beyond ChatGPT. These AI lawyer tools leverage machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and vast legal datasets to provide more accurate, efficient, and reliable assistance. These tools fall into several categories:

Document Review & Analysis

These tools use AI-powered document review to quickly analyze large volumes of legal documents, identifying key clauses, risks, and relevant information. this is crucial for due diligence, eDiscovery, and contract management. examples include:

• kira Systems: Focuses on contract analysis and extraction of key data points.
• ROSS Intelligence (acquired by Thomson Reuters): Specializes in legal research and analysis.
• Lex Machina: Provides litigation analytics and insights.

Legal Research & Case Law analysis

These platforms go beyond simple keyword searches, using AI to understand the context of your query and identify relevant case law, statutes, and regulations. They can also predict case outcomes based on ancient data. This is a significant improvement over traditional legal research methods.

• Westlaw Edge: Offers AI-powered legal research and analytics.
• LexisNexis: Provides thorough legal information and AI-driven insights.
• Casetext: Uses AI to provide concise summaries of case law.

Contract Drafting & Negotiation

AI can assist in drafting and reviewing contracts,ensuring they are legally sound and protect your interests. Some tools even offer automated negotiation features. This is especially useful for small business legal needs.

• lawgeex: Automates contract review and approval.
• Juro: Offers a collaborative contract management platform.

AI lawyer vs. ChatGPT: A Comparative Table

Feature	ChatGPT	Dedicated AI Legal Tool
Legal Accuracy	Low – Prone to errors & hallucinations	High – Trained on legal datasets & validated by experts
Data Sources	General internet data	Legal databases, case law, statutes
Specificity	Broad, general responses	Targeted, legal-specific insights
Document Analysis	Limited	Advanced document review & extraction
Legal Research	Basic keyword search	AI-powered case law analysis & prediction
Cost	Generally lower (subscription or pay-per-use)	Typically higher (subscription based on usage/features)

Benefits of Using an AI Lawyer Tool

Increased Efficiency: Automate time-consuming tasks like document review and legal research.

Reduced Costs: Lower legal fees by handling some tasks in-house. This is especially beneficial for startup legal expenses.

Improved Accuracy: Minimize errors and ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Enhanced Insights: Gain a deeper understanding of your legal position and potential risks.

* Faster Turnaround Times: Receive quicker responses and accelerate legal processes.

Practical Tips for Choosing an AI Legal Tool

1. Define Your Needs: What specific legal tasks do you need help with? (e.g., contract law, intellectual property, criminal law).
2. consider Your Budget: AI legal tools vary in price. Choose a solution that fits your financial constraints.
3. Evaluate Data Security: Ensure the tool has robust security measures to protect your confidential information. look for HIPAA compliance if dealing with healthcare data.
4. Check for Integration: Does the tool integrate with your existing legal software and workflows?
5. Read reviews & Case Studies: See what other users are saying about the tool’s performance and reliability.

Real-World Example: E-Discovery Cost Reduction

A large pharmaceutical company utilized an AI-powered eDiscovery platform to review over 1 million documents for a complex patent litigation case. The AI tool reduced the review time from an estimated 6 months to just 6 weeks, saving the company over $2 million in legal fees. This demonstrates the significant cost savings achievable with legal technology.

The Future of Law: AI as a Collaborative Partner

AI is not intended to replace lawyers, but rather to augment their capabilities. The most effective approach is a collaborative one, where lawyers leverage AI tools to enhance their efficiency, accuracy, and strategic decision-making. The future of legal services will undoubtedly be shaped by the continued advancement and adoption of artificial intelligence.