Exploring Excellence with HaystackID: John Brewer
Editor’s Note: This article explores John Brewer’s career journey after graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2003, and how he has consistently deployed a measured but innovative approach to using emerging technologies, including generative artificial intelligence. At HaystackID, as the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Chief Data Scientist, John’s leadership has driven significant advancements in AI applications, especially in sensitive data management. His commitment to ethical AI practices and mentorship has positioned him as a leading figure in the legal technology industry. This article provides a compelling look into John’s contributions and the impactful AI-driven solutions for HaystackID, its clients, and the industry at large.
Exploring Excellence with HaystackID: John Brewer
By HaystackID Staff
John Brewer has a long and excellent track record in building technology solutions, and with the ongoing innovations in legal tech and the proliferation of new technologies, his success is poised to continue. In the 1990s, he embarked on his academic journey at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts, balancing his studies with a job in the burgeoning world of eCommerce. John built applications that were, at the time, on the cutting edge of technology. After graduating from WPI in 2003, John briefly ran a help desk—a role that equipped him with skills that would benefit him throughout his career.
“It’s easy as a computer scientist or programmer to not get those conflict management skills quickly, but these skills served me very well as I moved on in my career,” John shared in an interview with the EDRM Illumination Zone podcast.
From there, John entered the Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) applications space, focusing on data migration as a presales engineer, working with data systems going back to the 1960s.
“This role was fantastic for someone like me who loves computing in all its forms,” John said. “I had front-row seats when machine learning and the data revolution were coming around. It was extremely exciting at the time.”
John began consulting with HaystackID a few years later, bringing his passion for computing and a measured approach to artificial intelligence (AI). While AI is now a topic everyone is buzzing about, John and HaystackID have been leveraging this technology for quite some time. Since 2017, HaystackID has been using traditional AI and machine learning to process bulk data. With John leading our company’s AI efforts as the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Chief Data Scientist, we have pioneered new ground in this technology, always focusing on ethical and secure practices.
“I have a deep appreciation for the remarkable potential of AI and its ability to transform how we work,” John said. “I advocate for leveraging AI in areas where it truly excels while wisely choosing alternative tools for tasks better suited to them. My guiding star when building a solution has always been to use the right tool for any given job, and I am fortunate to have 80 years of modern Computer Science behind me to fill my toolbox with many, many tools.”
One area in which John sees substantial potential in AI, specifically generative AI, is accelerating document review. In a recent Newsline article, John shared, “Generative AI is the latest innovation in document review, offering an automated solution that requires less initial training compared to TAR.”
The article stated that reviewing 130,000 documents may take 27 days manually, 10 days using TAR 1, 18-20 days with TAR 2 and 3, and only about five days with generative AI. This technology also has unparalleled precision and recall rates in this truncated time frame.
Managing Legal’s Complexities with AI
John and his team are continually eyeing new ways to use technology to combat our industry’s most pressing challenges.
“John’s innovative approaches are revolutionizing how we sift through vast amounts of legal data, using advanced machine learning techniques to streamline document review and uncover critical insights,” said Anya Korolyov, VP of Cyber Incident Response and Advanced Technologies Group at HaystackID.
Case in point: Protect Analytics AI® for Relativity. Built to help our clients handle large volumes of data and meet tight deadlines, Protect Analytics AI addresses the immediate need for efficient and comprehensive mechanisms to manage sensitive data. The tool swiftly identifies and categorizes sensitive data types, ensuring compliance and reducing risk. A standout feature of this platform is the sensitive data density score, which enables rapid identification of the most critical documents, enhancing both the speed and accuracy of data management.
“Protect Analytics AI gives our clients the tools they need to manage their sensitive data, which is imperative in the legal industry as organizations continue to wrestle with high-stakes legal matters, escalated timelines, and ballooning data volumes,” said John.
Protect Analytics AI has garnered significant recognition, winning the 2024 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Award in the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity category. This accolade highlights the solution’s impact in helping enterprises maintain security and compliance while managing sensitive data efficiently. Additionally, Protect Analytics AI was shortlisted for the Best Use of AI in Legal Tech in the inaugural 2024 A.I. Awards by the Cloud Awards. This prestigious program has recognized leaders and innovators in cloud computing since 2011.
“At HaystackID, we view AI as a vital tool in our arsenal to drive immense value for our clients in the legal space,” said HaystackID CEO Hal Brooks in the press release. “We will continue pioneering thoughtful and practical application and leadership of this technology.”
Protect Analytics AI in Action
When a prominent European telecommunications company faced a significant security breach, we deployed Protect Analytics AI for this client to analyze terabytes of exfiltrated data. Despite infrastructure incapacitation and limited client guidance, our tool enabled a secure, scalable, and rapid investigation, processing hundreds of millions of data rows in less than 72 hours.
The objectives of this engagement were to:
- Determine the incident’s scope,
- Assess the extent of compromised file repositories, and
- Identify potential access to sensitive data, including PII/PHI and trade secrets.
Using Protect Analytics AI, our team isolated specific record sets containing sensitive PII for further review and conducted early triage of dense data segments via advanced visualizations. These efforts helped the client understand global regulatory obligations across nearly 80 jurisdictions, reassess privacy policies, and save millions in potential fines and costs.
Building a Precise, Efficient Discovery Process with AI
Under John’s leadership, we recently launched HaystackID® Core Intelligence AI™, a sophisticated suite of AI-enabled workflows designed to accelerate and streamline the discovery and review of electronically stored information (ESI). This advanced toolset is part of the HaystackID Discovery Intelligence suite and is available through the HaystackID Core® platform.
“Applying generative AI in a manner that is both responsible and practical allows us to ensure that our solutions address the real-world challenges our clients face. Core Intelligence AI exemplifies this approach by providing advanced workflows that enhance precision and efficiency in eDiscovery,” said John in a press release about the launch.
Core Intelligence AI accelerates ESI review across six critical workflows, optimizing accuracy and cost-effectiveness. These workflows include:
- First-Level Review
- Quality Control (QC) of First-Level Reviewers
- Multi-Language Review
- Privilege Review
- PII/PHI Identification and Extraction
- Reviewing Received Productions
With this technology, legal teams can swiftly identify crucial documents, enabling them to manage their case strategy efficiently.
Nurturing the Next Generation of Talent
An AI leader, mentor, and educator, John frequently shares his knowledge at events, panels, and programs within and beyond the legal sphere, expanding our society’s understanding of AI. Some of John’s research on entity extraction has even aided engineers at Spokeo, and he maintains an ongoing collaboration with Worcester Polytechnic Institute to fund research on LLMs.
“Inspiring others to adopt AI has always been guided by the principle of using the right tool for the job,” John said. “When AI is deemed the best solution, my team is empowered and excited to leverage its power to overcome challenges.”
John’s mentorship extends to his colleagues at HaystackID, where he guides them on how to build successful careers in our industry, which is facing a tremendous amount of change.
“Beyond his technical expertise, John is a remarkable leader who fosters collaboration and growth within the team. His supportive nature and willingness to mentor others make him an invaluable asset, driving both our projects and the professional development of his colleagues,” said Anya.
Looking ahead, AI will continue to change how we work. Legal professionals using this technology appropriately will see unparalleled productivity, time savings, and quality outputs. However, failing to use this technology ethically and responsibly could have steep repercussions, from inaccurate conclusions to reputational damage to potential fines.
“AI is always a tool wielded by a human, and that human bears responsibility for the tool’s actions. True adoption of AI occurs when users understand how to use AI, what it can do, and why it may or may not be the best solution to their problem,” said John.
From his WPI college days to being a leader at HaystackID, John has built his success in technology over many years. Now, as the influx of GenAI tools and other innovations continue changing our industry, his and his team’s next major accomplishments could come in the blink of an eye.
Enhance ESI Discovery With AI Workflows
Continue learning to use AI to enhance how you work during our upcoming webcast, “6 AI Workflows to Enhance ESI Discovery.” John will moderate the program alongside fellow AI leaders to share how Core Intelligence AI can optimize accuracy and cost-effectiveness across six critical workflows and stay ahead of challenges like growing data volumes, security challenges, and inefficiencies. Learn more and register here.
About HaystackID®
HaystackID solves complex data challenges related to legal, compliance, regulatory, and cyber events. Core offerings include Global Advisory, Data Discovery Intelligence, HaystackID Core® Platform, and AI-enhanced Global Managed Review powered by its proprietary platform, ReviewRight®. Repeatedly recognized as one of the world’s most trusted legal industry providers by prestigious publishers such as Chambers, Gartner, IDC, and Legaltech News,
HaystackID implements innovative cyber discovery, enterprise solutions, and legal and compliance offerings to leading companies and legal practices around the world. HaystackD offers highly curated and customized offerings while prioritizing security, privacy, and integrity. For more information about how HaystackID can help solve unique legal enterprise needs, please visit HaystackID.com.
Assisted by GAI and LLM technologies.
Source: HaystackID