Extract from Aidan Macnab’s article “With proper guardrails AI can make justice system more equitable, efficient and accessible: new book”
The prevalence of artificial intelligence has grown in tandem with a rising apprehension that the machines will render various professionals obsolete. But a contention in the new book, The Legal Singularity, written by University of Toronto law professors Benjamin Alarie and Abdi Aidid, is that the technology will make lawyers more important in the future.
When lawyers think about why they went to law school, says Aidid, rarely is it because they wanted to spend all day in a legal database finding the right case. “They had dreams of having a flourish in the courtroom or helping their client problem-solve or being able to help deliver justice.”
“Technology is going to help to automate some of the grunt work and administrivia involved in lawyering and free up their time to actually engage in a creative pursuit.”
In The Legal Singularity: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Law Radically Better, Aidid and Alarie argue that AI can allow the law to live up to its promise. If the legal profession properly harnesses AI’s potential, not only will a lawyer’s job be streamlined, but the justice system will be more equitable, efficient, and accessible to the public. But its integration requires stakeholders to come to the table and “rigorously consider” the potential impacts and necessary guardrails.
The book will hit shelves on July 18 and will be published by the University of Toronto Press.
