An Artificial Intelligence startup, Sahel AI, focused on helping legal professionals work faster and smarter, has announced the launch of its platform for contract drafting and review.
In a statement, it said the solution would save law firms and in-house legal teams hours on repetitive contract-related tasks.
The company said, ”As a Microsoft partner, Sahel AI integrates directly with Microsoft Word, preserving lawyers’ existing workflow and familiar editing features. Sahel AI’s platform includes draft, review, and chat modules. The drafting module allows lawyers to draft new contracts from scratch, review specific sections, and draw from a vast library of clauses.
“On the review side, Sahel AI identifies red flags and potential legal risks, providing explanations and actionable suggestions to address them. It also flags non-compliant sections based on an organization’s internal playbook (standards and rules) and extracts critical clauses for quick analysis. Sahel AI’s MS Word Add-in has a built-in chat assistant that enables users to ask questions about their contracts and get instant answers.”
The Chief Executive Officer, Sahel AI, Jamiu Idowu, said, “We’re thrilled to bring this AI solution to lawyers. Lawyers are stretched thin, and our goal is to automate the tedious portions of contract work so they can concentrate on client advocacy and value-added services.
“Our review feature cuts contract review time by 80 per cent. Generally, our platform saves a transactional lawyer up to 15 hours per week. We are partnering with law firms and in-house teams who want to modernize and speed up their contract processes.”
According to Idowu, the legal industry was set to be transformed through generative AI as this sector has traditionally seen slower technological change because computers dealt with numbers, not text.
He added, “By embedding our AI solution as an Add-in in Microsoft Word where most lawyers do their work, we ensure little to no disruption in everyday workflows.
“According to a Goldman Sachs report, as much as 44 per cent of legal work can be fully automated. However, this isn’t about replacing lawyers, it is about enabling them to be more productive and have enough time allocated to higher-value activities.”
On security, the Head of Legal Engineering at Sahel AI, Akintunde Agunbiade, emphasised the company’s commitment to data protection.
He said, “We do not train on customer data. Also, we have created aTrust Center where everyone can see the security controls we have implemented, the standards we are compliant with, including GDPR, and the security certifications we have achieved.
“Sahel AI is built for law firms, as well as in-house legal teams within Multinationals and enterprise-level organizations across various sectors, including Energy, Construction & Real Estate, Telecoms, Banking and Finance, Retail, FMCGs, among others. By automating repetitive tasks, Sahel AI significantly reduces contract turnaround times and empowers legal departments to focus on strategic work.”