Synthesia's top lawyer vibe-coded an AI version of himself

Synthesia, a company specializing in AI-generated video avatars, has seen its general counsel, Gabe Stern, create a virtual lawyer using the company’s own technology. This AI avatar is designed to engage with prospective clients’ legal and procurement teams, handling preliminary contract discussions and answering frequently asked questions, thereby freeing up human lawyers from repetitive tasks. Stern utilized a low-code platform and a customized version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT to build the prototype in just two weeks, despite having no programming experience.

The avatar, named Willow, operates by drawing from Synthesia’s internal documentation and preferred negotiating positions. While still in testing, it demonstrates the potential of AI to streamline legal processes, particularly for in-house counsel focused on efficiency. Stern acknowledges the challenge of imbuing the avatar with the nuanced understanding and interpersonal skills of a human lawyer, but anticipates future iterations will incorporate visual cue detection to improve its credibility.

This project exemplifies “vibe coding,” where individuals without traditional coding skills can build software by describing their desired outcomes to AI. Stern believes this technology could be widely adopted, allowing businesses to create their own AI legal assistants and offering a new way to demo products directly to legal teams.

(Source：Business Insider)