introduction
Al, the most dangerous thing humans have ever invented. There was a time when we used to fantasize about technology that would do things at just our command/gesture. With the invention of AI in the mid 20 century, that fantasy slowly & gradually starts taking the shape of reality. AI has developed beyond our imagination and becomes so powerful that AI-empowered Robots even started replacing humans in many fields.
Today With the invention of the AI-empowered Robot Lawyer, We took one more step closer to the world of “technological singularity”.
The invention of AI Lawyer
The AI and human brain operate in quite similar ways. For instance, we mortals have pre-fed information in our brains which we employ while making decisions, solving problems, arguing, reasoning, and reacting to different situations. Similarly, AI also has information stored in it through a programming language, which it uses for performing all the tasks.
DoNotpay- the legal advisor company, has relied on the same aforementioned approach and has developed an AI-EMPOWERED Robot Lawyer. The company fed the AI of the Robot with the law – “which is a combination of language and code” as per Joshua Browder – the CEO and founder of DoNotPay( hereinafter referred to as “The Company”).
The Company plans to use this AI Lawyer in the over-speeding case in February. The AI will be operating on a computer/smartphone and instruct the defendant via earbuds on what to say, after listening to the lawsuit
Legality of using AI Lawyer
Even the company founder- Joshua is so confident about his AI Lawyer that he is offering to pay 1 million dollars to any Lawyer or person who is ready to wear earbuds and let their AI lawyer argue by repeating precisely what it says in front of the US Supreme Court.
But the issue here is whether using live recording equipment like earbuds for legal advice in the courtroom would be lawful or not.
In India, the use of such a device would certainly amount to contempt of court. The lawyer is supposed to argue in the courtroom based on their research and study. Sometimes lawyer even needs to keep their researched facts aside and have to argue using their rational brain to make sure justice prevails.
As a lawyer we are taught that winning the case should never be the goal, making sure justice is served should be the ultimate goal of every lawyer. I doubt an AI lawyer would ever be able to understand that. Moreover, the question here is whether an AI lawyer can replace the human lawyer, AI can become conscious and overcome humans? and will it be AI anymore if it becomes conscious?
As per Joshua, his AI lawyer is capable of replacing human lawyers. He says “there’ll still be a lot of good lawyers out there who may be arguing in the European Court of Human Rights, but a lot of lawyers are just charging way too much money to copy and paste documents and I think they will be replaced, and they should be replaced.
Loopholes of Legalbots
Well, even if Joshua’s AI lawyer wins the upcoming case and he successfully proves to the world the credibility of the AI Lawyer. Still, his AI Lawyer wouldn’t be able to replace humans for numerous reasons. The biggest reason is trust. Very well said by Stephen Covey “Trust is the glue of life, it’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships” including the relationship of a lawyer and his clients. Trust and communication are directly proportional, the higher the trust client has on his lawyer, the better the communication. A trustworthy lawyer keeps the client motivated, and keeps the client’s hope alive. Moreover, it takes years to build trust. In our law fraternity, Lawyers spend years building their name and trust amongst the clients, and under no circumstance, this AI lawyer would be able to build that kind of trust straight away. AI lawyers might be able to build some trust base over the next few years but that trust wouldn’t be that strong and rooted.
I believe, the trust that humans have on humans is unique, and humans would never be able to have that kind on a machine. Mainly because of the knowledge that it is a machine and you never know when it starts to malfunction. Till date, no human has invented perfect AI. I believe AI can’t be perfect until and unless it becomes conscious like a human mind, which is again a possibility that might come true in the future.
Conclusion
AI technology is no longer a distant dream but instead has become an integral part of our lives. AI has been used to automate mundane tasks and is becoming increasingly used to aid decision-making. AI-powered lawyers will certainly become widespread, but it’s important to remember that they cannot fully replace human lawyers. AI-powered lawyers, or legal bots, can be used to conduct legal research and can help to provide information to lawyers on the latest legal developments. They can also be used to assist with the preparation of legal documents, intelligent contracts, and automated filings, as well as help to track changes in case law and identify trends in the legal sector. However, AI-powered lawyers cannot replace human lawyers in many areas. Legal professionals must still evaluate the facts and circumstances of a case, interpret the law and advise the client on the best course of action. In addition, legal professionals are responsible for client relationships and must uphold their ethical obligations. AI-powered lawyers are part of the future of the legal sector, but human lawyers will remain the primary source of legal advice for the foreseeable future.
Author(s) Name: Ritik Kumar (Law centre 1, Faculty of law, University of Delhi)
