What will remain of the old practices

The extremely rapid changes linked to the technological transition, which has now reached the perhaps definitive turning point of artificial intelligence, risk causing a serious impact on the organisation of professional offices as we have been accustomed to perceiving them. In the immediate future, even according to the most authoritative opinions on the subject, it is not so much the very survival of the profession as it is still designed in our legal system that is at stake, but rather its way of being expressed. Because if it is true that it is still too early to rely entirely on machines - which, incidentally, have proven to suffer from hallucinations and to be capable of 'lying in order not to disappoint' - certainly the greater speed at which 'executive' and more or less repetitive activities can be carried out makes the Ai an indispensable tool in studies. Artificial intelligence, or at least an evolved form of machine learning, is by now an integral part of the organisation of medium-sized and large law firms, many of which have invested and are investing considerable resources on the point, but it has not yet penetrated in the same way into the smaller structures that are still tied to the craft concept of the profession. Here it is not even a question of economic capacity - the new technologies have, as always, very low and diversified entry prices - but rather of a cultural attitude that is not yet rooted and adequately developed. But beware: much is also changing 'outside' the narrow technology in the world of the classical professions. New practices and new rules are making their debut in the most delicate and characteristic field of classical professional activity, from that of controls to that of conflict management - starting with the debut of these, the adversarial procedure between public and private parties - but also in litigation between private counterparts. And there are aspects of the relationship between PA and taxpayer that still need to be harmonised as a corollary of the tax reform. Much still needs to be done in terms of simplification and de-bureaucratisation of the relationship. These issues will be the focus of several panels (on artificial intelligence and in the one mentioned here) at the Festival of Economics 2025.

SUNDAY 25 MAY Changing times, what will remain of the old law firm and notaryThe protagonists: Giulio Biino, President of the National Council of Notaries; Marilisa D'Amico, University of Milan; Maria Carla De Cesari, Il Sole 24 Ore; Giusella Finocchiaro, University of Bologna; Antonino La Lumia, President of the Milan Bar Association.