If partial automation means an overwhelmed legal-aid lawyer now has time to take more clients’ cases, or clients can now afford to hire a lawyer, everyone will be better off. In addition, tech-enabled legal services can help consumers do a better job of representing themselves.
Full Answer
Lawyers will become fewer, while being more knowledgeable about strategic approaches. Junior associates will no longer conduct time-consuming documentation or research. Specific practice areas will become less important as AI augments lawyers' knowledge.
The future of AI-powered lawyers may be closer than we think According to a paper written by economists at MIT and Boston University, robots could replace about two million workers by 2025.
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.
The company has built an AI chatbot that interviews users about their legal problems, then uses their answers to complete and submit paperwork on their behalf. Some might think AI legal services, such as DoNotPay, will eventually replace humans.
There are three aspects of the legal profession that artificial intelligence (AI) technology cannot replace: Expertise, ethics and humanity. “The ethical obligations of lawyers to promote the public interest is what sets the legal profession apart from businesses and commercial interests.
Robot Lawyers aims to give people a better way to present their personal story to the court in a way that will assist them and the Court. This is in circumstances where there are many people who are simply unable to pay for an lawyer for simple matters.
Robot attorneys carry out corporate legal responsibilities such as conducting research, offering legal opinions, and informing corporations about fundamental compliance. However, programmers have created an AI lawyer that can help a corporation make a legally enforceable agreement with another company or entity.
Impressive advances in AI technology tailored for legal work have led some lawyers to worry that their profession is in jeopardy. However, in reality the likelihood of a lawyer's replacement is relatively low compared to that of a law student or a paralegal.
Ethical Concerns About AI in the Legal Sector. AI in the legal sector raises ethical concerns about competence, diligence, and oversight. The use of AI technology creates new situations that current ethics rules have yet to tackle.
With legal technology, some paralegal tasks can easily be automated. But that doesn't mean that the role of paralegals will be completely eliminated soon. By automating certain parts of a paralegal's job—like repetitive document creation and client intake paperwork— paralegals become more valuable to a law firm.
Employment Outlook for Lawyers Employment of lawyers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Demand for legal work is expected to continue as individuals, businesses, and all levels of government require legal services in many areas.
Although AI cannot fully “replace” a judge or lawyer's position at present, it is still useful in the courtroom in many ways. An AI machine can gather research, preventing the judge from having to go through legal books manually.