Pioneers in AI in legaltech | Photo: Ali
The main goal of many legal techs is to optimize tasks in law firms to enhance the quality of services. However, a less-considered perspective is how these technologies can improve lawyers’ quality of life. Ali, a legal tech startup, was founded with that mission in mind.
Ali, established in 2022, specializes in analyzing, drafting, and reviewing legal documents, making it easier to consult various sources. “Its primary use today is extracting essential data from vast amounts of legal information and drafting documents,” shared Andrés Girault at the Lawit Legal Tech Competition 2023, where he was recognized as the winner.
The intent of Ali, created by Andrés Girault and his partners, Diego Molina and Diego Cue, is to lessen lawyers’ workload using artificial intelligence. In September of this year, Ali stood out in the Lawit Legal Tech Competition 2023, where various Latin American startups competed.
In an interview with LexLatin, Girault explained that lawyers often feel overwhelmed, leading to mental and physical health issues. “Lawyers are constantly crying out for help,” he said. The inspiration for Ali came from realizing many lawyers get stressed and make errors when gathering information for legal diagnostics. With its AI technology, Ali aims to simplify this process.
Furthermore, Girault emphasizes that his company has been pioneering in Mexico in partnering with OpenAI (creators of ChatGPT) and has successfully built trust with over 500 lawyers using the Ali platform. This trust has been crucial for positioning as a significant player in the legal tech world.
Regarding the legal tech market in Latin America, Girault mentioned a need for more trust in tech startups. He compared the situation to Silicon Valley, where corporations backed small tech businesses.
“I believe the issue of trust is lacking in Latin America. We need to trust providers and back these small tech companies more. The biggest struggle for my partner and I is earning our client’s trust, and once we have it, we cherish it deeply. The trust would open the door to more players in the legal tech ecosystem in the Latin American market,” he stated.
Lastly, when advising future entrepreneurs, Girault emphasized the importance of addressing real issues rather than falling in love with a particular solution. “Focus on the problem and the people you wish to help, and the solution will adjust,” he concluded.
In 2021, North America accounted for 44.39 percent of the revenue generated by the global legal tech market, while Europe accounted for 25.24 percent of the market’s revenue. The Asia-Pacific region held about 17.7 percent of the international legal tech market in terms of revenue in 2021, in a sector expected to see consistent growth through 2027, according to projections.
