Could lawyers and professionals of the legal sector be replaced by a robot? This sounds futuristic, awkward and dystopian, but the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has been standardized among the legal community.

What have been identified as the first legal robot is an application called DoNotPay. Its creator, Joshua Browder, has explained that it helps users write legal content and letters. In order to use it correctly, the person has to type on the chatbot what the problem is about and then the app is going to suggest what it believes it’s the better solution and legal language to use.

Browder’s app is from his company which is actually based in Silicon Valley in California, but it has its origins in the capital of England, London. The use of this kind of software was normalized among the British population and it took a step forward to the USA. The information that has on its database can solve problems and write drafts about insurance claims, applying for tourist visas, complaint letters to a business or local authority, getting money back for a trip that a person can no longer go on or cancellations of the gym membership. 

Reasons to not fear the robot

The population and some lawyers could fear the use of this applications on robots in order to facilitate some legal process, however it is not a logical thought because it is not going to replace any person as its main porpoise is to help the professional or the legal firm.

An example of that is the murder case that the lawyer, Sally Hobson, had to deal with. She implemented in her work the use of AI that helped her to quickly analyze over 10.000 reports, saving her over 56.583€. Moreover, the chief technology officer of Deloitte Legal, Bruce Braude, says that with the help of new technology they can predict how petitions will be determined 70% of the time.

The end of the lawyer’s profession cannot be predicted over the introduction of the robots in the legal sector. People, due to the human contact, will always prefer to deal their personal cases with another person who can provide their own opinion. In addition, nobody knows what will happen in a the future of the legal sector, so it is fair to use the common sense and be cautious with ever tool lawyers have to improve their work because robots can be a really good help in the profession but never become a substitute.