For a general question or a simple explanation, a general-purpose assistant can be useful. But as soon as an answer has to be used in a case file, two risks arise: applying an unsuitable rule or citing an incorrect reference.
In law, speed is not enough. Sources must be accurate and verifiable. In Switzerland, you also need to take into account professional secrecy, data protection and the different languages of Swiss law.
This guide compares ChatGPT and Silex for legal research, document analysis, data security, integration with the firm’s tools and pricing.
ChatGPT and Silex do not meet the same need
ChatGPT is a general-purpose artificial intelligence assistant. It can explain a concept, draft a text, summarise a document or help structure your thinking on a wide range of subjects.
Silex is designed for legal research and analysis in Swiss law. It is aimed at professionals who need to work from verifiable legal sources.
For legal research, the main difference therefore lies in how specialised the tool is and in the ability to check the references it uses.
The same question arises with other general-purpose assistants. You can also read our comparison Claude or Silex.
The risk of false references
A general-purpose AI can produce an answer that seems credible but contains an error. This is often called a “hallucination”.
In the legal field, this can take several forms:
- a court decision that does not exist;
- a wrong article number;
- a rule taken out of context;
- an incorrect legal interpretation.
A false reference can undermine a written submission, a legal opinion or advice given to a client. Every important source must therefore be checked before it is used.
Swiss law is multilingual
Swiss law is drafted in several languages and combines federal and cantonal rules.
Research may therefore require switching from French to German or Italian while keeping the same legal meaning.
A general-purpose assistant may sometimes mix up concepts from different legal systems or translate a term without respecting its exact scope in Swiss law.
Silex is designed to work with Swiss legal terminology in French, German and Italian.
Always go back to the source
A legal answer is only truly useful if its source can be traced.
Before citing a reference, you need to check:
- that the source exists;
- that it actually says what is attributed to it;
- that it is still applicable;
- that it really concerns the law and the jurisdiction under consideration.
In Swiss law, you also need to distinguish federal law from cantonal law.
Silex works from Swiss legal sources and lets you trace the references used in an answer.
Professional secrecy and data protection
Lawyers, notaries and other legal professionals work with sensitive information: contracts, procedural documents, personal data or information covered by professional secrecy.
Before sending a document to an AI, you should therefore check the provider’s rules on:
- file storage;
- reuse of files;
- model training;
- data location;
- who can access the data.
Silex states that it hosts data in Switzerland with Infomaniak and does not use client files to train its models.
The measures in place are detailed on the security page.
Analysing the firm’s documents with Silo
The Silo module lets you work directly on the firm’s documents: contracts, notes or other internal files.
Users can ask questions about these documents and compare their content with the applicable law.
This feature can be used, for example, to:
- summarise a case file;
- find information across several documents;
- compare clauses;
- prepare a legal analysis based on the documents in the case file.
The features are detailed on the product page. The method is also presented in our article on AI-assisted legal analysis.
AI prepares, the legal professional decides
Much of the time spent on a case file goes into finding texts, checking references and organising information.
AI can speed up this preparation by identifying useful sources and presenting an initial summary.
The legal professional nevertheless remains responsible for the result. They must check the references, adapt the analysis to the case file and decide which arguments to use.
The aim is therefore to reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks so that more of it can go into strategy and advice.
Silex in the firm’s tools
A legal AI is easier to use when it integrates with the tools the firm already has.
Silex can be used with WinLex and SkyLex, among others. The integration of Silex into WinLex and SkyLex makes it possible to run searches directly from the usual working environment.
The partnership with MCR Solutions also aims to integrate legal research into existing processes.
You can also read the announcements about Silex and EXPERTsuisse and Bordier & Cie.
ChatGPT or Silex: the points to compare
To explore other solutions, see our article on legal AI alternatives.
Silex pricing
Silex offers several plans depending on the size of the organisation.
- Solo: CHF 149 per month, for individual use.
- Team: CHF 490 per month, for teams.
- Enterprise: CHF 895 per month, for larger organisations.
Details of the plans are available on the pricing and solutions pages.
In short
ChatGPT can be useful for a general question, an explanation or drafting a text.
For Swiss legal research intended for use in a case file, the key point is being able to verify sources and protect sensitive data.
Silex is designed for this kind of use, with Swiss legal sources, hosting in Switzerland and features dedicated to document analysis.
To test Silex on a real legal question, you can book a demo.
FAQ
Can ChatGPT be used in a law firm?
Yes, particularly for general questions, explanations or certain drafting tasks. For confidential data or client matter documents, you should first check the terms, the privacy settings and the firm’s rules. Legal references must also be checked before use.
Can Silex be used by individuals?
Yes. A suitable solution is presented in our article on legal AI for individuals.
Does Silex work with case management software?
Silex offers integrations with WinLex and SkyLex, among others, as well as other workflows depending on the environment used.
