内容来源：https://aibusiness.com/generative-ai/microsoft-could-hold-advantage-copilot-for-legal

内容总结：

微软近日发布面向法律行业的AI工具Copilot for Legal，包含20多项法律AI技能和插件，直接内置于Microsoft 365环境。该产品是此前4月推出的Legal Agent的升级版，支持在Word中进行大规模文档处理，法律专业人士可在Copilot中跨协议、邮件、会议和文件分配工作任务，快速起草协议和备忘录、审查和谈判协议，并将分析转化为结构化指导。

不过，微软在大型AI厂商中推出法律工具的时间相对较晚。今年1月，Anthropic率先为Claude Cowork推出法律插件，5月推出Claude for Legal；8月谷歌发布Gemini Enterprise for Legal；9月OpenAI推出Astra for Law平台。微软是第四家入局的大型AI厂商。

尽管起步较晚，微软可能具备战略优势。芝加哥McCready Law律所负责人迈克尔·麦格雷迪表示，许多律师依赖微软产品，微软拥有嵌入大量工作流程的分发优势，“他们甚至不需要拥有最好的法律AI，只要足够好用，让律师觉得无需离开Word，这就能构成巨大的竞争优势。”

报道指出，与竞争对手相比，Copilot for Legal似乎并无额外或新增功能。但麦格雷迪认为，律师传统上对改变工作流程较为迟缓，而微软掌控着律师使用的诸多工作环境，包括Word和SharePoint（许多律师和律所在此存储机构知识），因此对律师而言整合起来更加容易。

此外，尽管微软和Anthropic在AI领域是竞争对手，两者也是合作伙伴：Claude已与微软环境集成，律所可选择使用该模型，同时使用Copilot for Legal。

麦格雷迪还指出，仅有AI应用已不够，“这些大语言模型已经变得非常好，AI在法律领域已经非常出色。现在关键在于连接能力，以及基于这些连接构建智能体的能力。”律师需要能够将他们使用的应用（如Copilot或Word）与Westlaw、汤森路透和LexisNexis等法律工具连接起来。

报道同时提醒，AI市场变化迅速，Anthropic、OpenAI或谷歌仍可能推出更好的产品、更多功能或更优定价。麦格雷迪表示：“现在已经到了这样的阶段：与其说关键在于大语言模型的功能，不如说关键在于连接性和无缝访问一切的能力，从而为律师提供最佳输出。”

中文翻译：

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尽管该供应商并非法律AI市场的首家入局者，但微软的生态环境已深深扎根于许多律师事务所之中。
微软推出了面向法律行业的自有AI工具。
虽然该供应商发布法律插件的时间晚于竞争对手的产品，但这家科技巨头很可能拥有竞争优势，因为业内许多人已经在使用无处不在的Microsoft 365办公生产力软件套件。
微软于10月15日推出了Copilot for Legal。它包含20多项法律AI技能和插件，直接内置于Microsoft 365环境中。
该产品实际上是对微软此前于4月推出的Legal Agent的升级。借助新的法律插件，Copilot for Legal支持在Word中进行大量文档工作。在Copilot中，法律专业人士可以跨协议、电子邮件、会议和文件分配工作。微软表示，新功能让法律团队能够快速起草协议和备忘录、审阅和谈判协议，并将分析转化为结构化指导。
但Copilot for Legal来得较晚，微软是第四家发布法律工具的大型AI厂商。
生成式AI供应商最早于1月瞄准法律领域的AI应用，当时Anthropic为Claude Cowork推出了其首个法律插件，随后于5月推出Claude for Legal。8月，谷歌发布了Gemini Enterprise for Legal。9月，OpenAI推出了其Astra for Law平台。
芝加哥McCready Law的老板迈克尔·麦格雷迪表示，尽管微软起步较晚，但它可能处于有利的战略位置，因为如此多的律师依赖微软产品。
“他们拥有嵌入如此多工作流程的渠道优势，”麦格雷迪说。“他们甚至不需要拥有最好的法律AI。它只要足够好，让律师觉得永远不必离开Word，这就可能成为巨大的竞争优势。”
与竞争对手相比，Copilot for Legal似乎并没有任何额外或新功能。
不过，他补充说，由于律师传统上改变工作流程的速度较慢，而微软拥有律师使用的很大一部分工作环境，包括Word和SharePoint（许多律师和律所在此存储其机构知识），因此对律师来说整合将很容易。
而且，尽管微软的竞争对手号称拥有精细化的模型和面向律师的AI应用，但律师需要的更多。他们还必须能够将他们使用的应用（如Copilot或Microsoft Word）连接到Westlaw、汤森路透和LexisNexis等法律工具。
“我认为仅有AI应用是不够的，”麦格雷迪说。“这些大语言模型已经变得如此出色。AI在法律领域已经变得如此出色。现在关键在于连接，然后是基于这些连接构建智能体的能力。”
而且，尽管微软和Anthropic在AI领域是竞争对手，它们同时也是合作伙伴：Claude已与微软环境集成，使律师事务所如果愿意的话可以访问该模型，同时还能使用Copilot for Legal。
尽管微软可能因其在法律领域的无处不在而获得种种收益，但AI市场变化迅速；Anthropic、OpenAI或谷歌可能会推出更好的产品、更多功能或更优的定价。
“我们现在已经到了这样一个阶段：关键不再是LLM的功能有多强，而是连接性，以及能否无缝访问一切，从而为律师提供最佳输出，”麦格雷迪说。

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While the vendor is not the first in the AI for legal market, the Microsoft environment is entrenched in many law firms.
Microsoft is out with its own AI tools for the legal industry.
And while the vendor’s release of legal plugins is late compared to rivals’ offerings, the tech giant may well have a competitive edge because many in the business are already using the ubiquitous Microsoft 365 office productivity software suite.
Microsoft introduced Copilot for Legal on Oct. 15. It includes more than 20 legal AI skills and plugins built directly into the Microsoft 365 environment.
The product is really an advancement of what Microsoft previously introduced as Legal Agent in April. With the new legal plugins, Copilot for Legal supports extensive document work in Word. In Copilot, legal professionals can assign work across agreements, emails, meetings and files. The new capabilities let legal teams quickly draft agreements and memos, review and negotiate agreements and develop analysis into structured guidance, Microsoft said.
But Copilot for Legal is belated, as Microsoft is the fourth big AI player to release legal tools.
Generative AI vendors first targeted AI for the legal field in January, when Anthropic launched its initial legal plugin for Claude Cowork, followed by Claude for Legal in May. In August, Google released Gemini Enterprise for Legal. And in September, OpenAI launched its Astra for Law platform.
Despite Microsoft's late start, it could be in a good strategic position because so many lawyers rely on Microsoft products, said Michael McCready, owner of McCready Law in Chicago.
“They have that distribution advantage of being embedded in so many workflows,” McCready said. “They don’t even need to have the best legal AI. It must be good enough that lawyers feel they never have to leave Word, and that can be an enormous competitive advantage.”
Microsoft does not appear to have any additional or new features in Copilot for Legal compared to the competition.
However, since lawyers are traditionally slow to change their workflows and Microsoft owns much of the working environment lawyers use, including Word and SharePoint (where many lawyers and firms store their institutional knowledge), integration would be easy for lawyers, he added.
And although Microsoft competitors boast refined models and AI applications for lawyers, lawyers need more. They also have to be able to connect the apps they use, such as Copilot or Microsoft Word, to legal tools like Westlaw, Thomson Reuters and LexisNexis.
“I don’t think that just the AI application is enough,” McCready said. “These LLMs have gotten so good. AI has gotten so good at law. Now it's a matter of connections, and then the ability to build out agents based on those connections.”
And even though Microsoft and Anthropic are rivals in the AI sphere, they are also partners: Claude is integrated with the Microsoft environment, enabling law firms to access the model if they choose to, while also using Copilot for Legal.
Despite any gains Microsoft might realize because of its pervasive presence in law, the AI market moves swiftly; Anthropic, OpenAI or Google could come up with a better product, more features or better pricing.
“We're getting to the point now that it's not so much the functionality of the LLM as it is the connectivity and just being able to access everything seamlessly, to give a lawyer the best output,” McCready said.