CEO of Margins ID Group, Moses Baiden, has urged Ghanaian lawyers to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the technology continues to reshape  legal practice, judicial administration and access to justice.

Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence

Speaking at the 2026/2027 Ghana Bar Association Annual Conference in Accra, Mr Baiden said the  legal profession must prepare for the far-reaching changes AI is expected to bring to the sector.
The conference is being held on the theme, “150 Years of Ghana’s  Legal Evolution: Transforming the Profession and Driving Its Future with Industry.”

Delivering the keynote address, titled “From Quill to Algorithm: 150 Years of Ghana’s Legal Evolution and the Future of the Ghanaian Lawyer,” Mr Baiden said the pace of technological change over the next two decades could surpass what the legal profession experienced over the previous century.

He said the 150th anniversary of Ghana’s legal evolution should therefore serve not only as an opportunity to reflect on the profession’s history, but also to prepare for the technological changes ahead.

Mr Baiden noted that AI is already influencing how lawyers conduct research, review documents, analyse contracts, prepare legal arguments and manage information
However, he stressed that the technology would not replace professional judgment, accountability and ethical responsibility.

“Artificial intelligence may become an exceptionally fast junior associate, but it will not bear professional responsibility.”
He consequently urged lawyers to carefully supervise, test and correct AI-generated outputs before relying on them in professional practice.
Mr Baiden identified four key areas that would be affected by AI: the lawyer’s daily work, clients and legal institutions, the competencies required of lawyers, and the profession’s continuing responsibility to protect the law, rights and public trust.

He said the growing use of AI would also change the fundamental question lawyers ask when assessing information, from whether an answer can be found to whether the answer can be trusted.

“Can I trust this answer?”

Beyond the legal profession, Mr Baiden called on the courts, regulators and legal education institutions to modernise their systems to accommodate digital evidence, emerging technologies and new forms of legal practice.

He said technology could also expand access to justice by making legal information and services more accessible to farmers, traders, small businesses and underserved communities.
However, he cautioned that digital transformation must be managed carefully to ensure it does not widen existing inequalities.

Mr Baiden further encouraged Ghana to develop homegrown legal technology solutions rather than relying solely on imported systems, arguing that locally developed technologies could better reflect Ghanaian laws, languages, commercial practices and institutional realities.

He said the lawyer of the future would have to combine the roles of jurist, technologist, strategist, advocate, lifelong learner and guardian of rights.

Reflecting on the evolution of legal practice from the quill and typewriter to computers, email, cloud platforms and AI, Mr Baiden said technological advancement would not alter the profession’s fundamental purpose.

“The quill disappeared. The lawyer remained,” he said, adding that the arrival of the algorithm would not change the fundamental responsibility of the legal profession to serve law, justice and humanity