Recently, I completed a special side project—developing an in-house Smart Video Evidence Tool for our law firm.
This tool automatically converts screen-recorded evidence (such as WeChat chat history) into clean, continuous, printable images, solving a long-standing bottleneck in evidence preparation for litigation.
As a full-time lawyer, building such a tool used to be almost impossible. I could not pause my legal career to join a software company, nor spend years mastering every Python library or low-level programming concept.
Yet with AI, this project became feasible. And through this experience, I gained several new insights into AI, software development, and the future of legal work:
1. AI Is Redefining What It Means to Be a “Developer”
AI has dramatically lowered the threshold of software creation.
We no longer need to be full-time programmers to build tools—we can become architects.
Lawyers understand evidence rules, compliance requirements, and procedural logic.
External programmers understand code, but they often do not understand the “chain of evidence” or the nuances of legal workflows.
AI bridges this gap:
Those who understand the problem now have the ability to build the solution.
2. The Rise of “Boundary Crossers”
Professional boundaries will continue to blur.
- Lawyers who can build tools
- Engineers who understand industries deeply
- Domain experts who collaborate with AI to extend their capabilities
This “Domain Expertise + AI Execution” model will likely become the most efficient form of productivity in the future.
The legal profession is no exception.
AI allows us to translate legal pain points into executable workflows—quickly and precisely.
3. A New Direction for Enterprise Software
This project also reshaped my view of open-source and enterprise systems.
Instead of relying solely on generic commercial software, future organizations may adopt an approach like:
Open-Source Framework + Internal Cross-Disciplinary Talent
Why?
Because internal professionals—who understand business pain points—can customize tools far more precisely than external vendors.
This creates long-term agility and a competitive advantage.
Looking Ahead
I am excited to have taken this step.
Not just because of the efficiency gains, but because it opens a window into what legal professionals can become in the AI era:
Boundary crossers. System designers.
Builders of our own tools.
AI is not replacing us—
it is amplifying what we are uniquely positioned to create.