That ESG and artificial intelligence are keeping our legal eagles increasingly busy is, perhaps, no great surprise. If nothing else, although very different processes, both are changing how law firms operate internally. But they are also increasingly a source of business from the outside world, albeit currently more so in the case of ESG than AI. But even in the latter case, AI is demanding more attention today than it did yesterday, and the direction of travel is heading only one way.
“AI will reshape our entire world and will generate a vast amount of legal work in the future,” is how one of our witnesses for this year’s Market Talk panel put it. Another expert described how “AI seems to be creating an increasing number of legal issues, some quite novel.” Others nod to the European Union’s AI Act, with one commentator noting, “We believe that seeking advice on this topic will increase further.”
Yet one comment really stood out for me. If your nightmare scenario is a world where AI is all-knowing and always right, you can relax in the knowledge that we aren’t there yet. “In the long run, AI has the potential to rearrange the focus and scope of legal work,” one of our panelists said before adding, “Even now, clients often bring legal research or contracts generated by AI for revision.”
Nor were they a loan voice. Another of our regular contributors made a similar point. “We also see clients coming to us to confirm, fine-tune or correct the ‘advice’ they generated with AI to respond to their needs and questions concerning legal topics or issues they face. This is interesting and shows that not only lawyers but also our clients are using AI, but for different purposes than we thought they would!”
By now, most business people (and probably many school kids) are familiar with the idea of AI hallucinations, where stuff is simply made up. We even had a legal example in the previous issue of the Budapest Business Journal, where a lawyer had used generative AI to research legal rulings. Finding one that seemed to buttress their case, they cited it as evidence in court, only to discover after the event that it was entirely fictitious.
Why AI should hallucinate has never been satisfactorily explained to me, but the fact that it does so means we all have to be on our guard, whether a student researching an essay, a journalist making a background check, an advocate preparing for a court case, or a lawyer asked to double check an AI finding!
*****
Congratulations are due to Róbert Keszte, head of global operations at Continental Automotive Group, on becoming president of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. It has been a busy period for this well-known member of Budapest’s business community. On March 21, he won the CEO Community Award at our very own CEO Gala. At the beginning of last year, based on the opinions of 297 Hungarian CEOs, PwC Hungary awarded him its “Most Inspiring Leader of the Year” award. The title recognizes a Hungarian CEO who is seen as a role model by other top executives in Hungary.
Robin Marshall
Editor-in-chief
This editorial was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of May 30, 2025.
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
