A local tech company says they’ve developed a first-of-its-kind AI tool to help lawyers with the drafting of contracts.

It’s called Spellbook, and since being launched in 2022 it is now being used in over 50 countries around the world.

CEO Scott Stevenson says the technology runs on top of software such as Microsoft Word as a lawyer is drafting or reviewing documents, such as an employment agreements.

He says the technology can detect problems or issues with the agreement and make suggestions to the lawyer about how to improve it. As well, if a new section needs to be added, the AI can be used to draft it.

Stevenson says they did have to navigate challenges around the ethical and appropriate use of AI.

He likens the technology to an electric bike – he says the lawyers already know how to ride it, the technology just helps them peddle faster. Stevenson says they’ve built Spellbook in such a way that everything can’t just be deferred to it, and the final product is the person’s judgement.