Would You Let a Robot Lawyer Defend You in Court?

What’s the story? 

• The first court appearance of an AI-powered “robot” lawyer, set to defend a parking infringement, has been canceled following backlash from the legal community. 

• The “robot” lawyer, created by DoNotPlay, was to provide real-time legal advice through Bluetooth headphones. 
• Legal experts argued the use of AI in court conflicts with ethical legal practices such as transparency and impartiality.
• DoNotPay CEO Joshua Browder responded to concerns, explaining:

“It's not in the spirit of law, but we're trying to push things forward and a lot of people can't afford legal help. If these cases are successful, it will encourage more courts to change their rules."

• Browder announced the February court appearance has since been canceled and DoNotPay will stick to “consumer rights” services such as disputing credit reports and canceling subscriptions.

What are the legal experts saying?

• Kathryn Tewson, a paralegal at KUSK LAW, criticized DoNotPay's AI on Twitter: 

There is literally nothing AI about this at all. This is a straight-up plug-and-chug document wizard, and it is not well done at all. pic.twitter.com/CCjn1FgPr6

— Kathryn Tewson (@KathrynTewson) January 24, 2023

• Leah Wilson, executive director of The State Bar of California, told NRP that AI-powered robots aren’t the right solution to affordability concerns.

"In 2023, we are seeing well-funded, unregulated providers rushing into the market for low-cost legal representation, raising questions again about whether and how these services should be regulated.”

What does the law say?

• The AI technology used by DoNotPay is illegal in most U.S. courtrooms, where recording audio is prohibited.
• Unauthorized practice of law, which includes non-lawyers relying on AI to advise third parties, is a criminal act. However, in 2022, AI-backed legal non-profit Upsolve challenged New York’s unauthorized practice law, on First Amendment grounds.
• Assigning technology a greater role in the legal system can be a double-edged sword. Artificial intelligence in courts can streamline administrative tasks, analyze legal data and identify precedents. However, the use of predictive AI tools in the U.S. justice system can lead to flawed and biased predictions.

--Laura Woods

(Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto)