Would You Let a Robot Lawyer Defend You?

BBC ^ | 8/16 | Padraig Belton

[nickcarraway]

Could your next lawyer be a robot? It sounds far fetched, but artificial intelligence (AI) software systems - computer programs that can update and "think" by themselves - are increasingly being used by the legal community.

Joshua Browder describes his app DoNotPay as "the world's first robot lawyer".

It helps users draft legal letters. You tell its chatbot what your problem is, such as appealing against a parking fine, and it will suggest what it thinks is the best legal language to use.

"People can type in their side of an argument using their own words, and software with a machine learning model matches that with a legally correct way of saying it," he says.

The 24-year-old and his company are based in Silicon Valley in California, but the firm's origins go back to London in 2015, when Mr Browder was 18.

[nickcarraway]

"now i'm just a simple country robot lawyer"

[BenLurkin]

Nope.

[cgbg]

I want a robot as my Congress-critter.

They would represent me far better than the Democrat dirtball there now...

[BenLurkin]

Want the last human lawyer left, if need be...

[Pollard]

Might be better than a public defender pretender

[RBW in PA]

Most lawyers are Robots. They played the same game, filed the same motions, made the same arguments, dealt with the same lawyers and judges over and over. They all know the outcome (or very close to it) months in advance and just go though the motions for the client.

In all honesty, if laws were written logically, not open to interpretation and evaluated by a fair and open source algorithm, I would be in favor of this. Honestly hopes this happens one day and puts a lot of corrupt lawyers out of business. Right Jamie?

[Reno89519]

Actually, I like the idea. It might be a great way to get a competent, thoroughly knowledgeable, and effective attorney.

[ClearCase_guy]

People think automation will replace burger flippers at McDonald’s. And that will happen.

But a lot of “good” white-collar jobs are going to disappear as well.

[Harpotoo]

If it’s a Jewish robot, for sure:-)

[discostu]

They’d be good at the wrote stuff. Excellent public defenders. But they wouldn’t be good at the serious jury manipulation stuff that makes a good high priced lawyer. No robot would come up with “if it doesn’t fit you must acquit”.

[SpaceBar]

Ultimately all AI from simple multilayer perceptrons to large neural networks
are ultra-high degrees-of-freedom pattern detectors. A suitably trained
network filled with all known/published case law, doctrines, strategies
would conceivably be able to predict the outcome(s) of a hypothetical legal
scenario with a high degree of confidence, and the optimal strategy. The
ultimate legal clerk on steroids, but being REPRESENTED by an algorithm is
another matter. I’d first ask the AI what my legal odds were if I used AI
representation and watch its circuits overheat.

[I want the USA back]

No robot, no AI can think. They do a rudimentary simulation of thinking. Everything in them is programmed, even the ability to step somewhat out of the strictly linear mode of reasoning.

AI is best used as an AID to the human. The human’s thinking mode is holistic when needed, linear when required, and is influenced by emotion or the preservation of self. The self is constantly juggling the three to achieve what is known as the human mind.

No robot lawyers, please.

[Chode]

would it have a lawyers ethics?

[Secret Agent Man]

the robot is programmed by dominion voting systems

and is connected to the internet

and can be hacked

[DPMD]

Depends; would a robot lawyer double bill me?

[Yo-Yo]

It always seemed to me that the law could be interpreted like a programming language, with strict logic and Boolean Algebra.

"We at the Law Offices of Asimov and Associates are here to defend your case to the fullest extent of logic."

[EQAndyBuzz]

“If it’s a Jewish robot, for sure:-”

A Jewbot?

[Harpotoo]

We already have/make those. They are called jewish dem voters:-)
Hey I can say these things as I’m Jewish.
You know like that friendly word blacks call each other:-)

[aynrandfreak]

Will the Robot still extra-bill me out of spite if I call for a status update? ;)