After many false beginnings, artificial intelligence (AI) has made astonishing progress in the past few years. AI, sometimes referred to as cognitive computing, refers to computers learning how to complete tasks traditionally done by humans. Thanks to a versatile technique called “deep learning,” large neural computer networks modeled on the architecture of the human brain, can be trained to do all kinds of tasks if given enough data. These networks power Facebook’s automatic photo tagging, Google’s search engine, Amazon’s shopping recommendations and self-driving cars.

This rapid progress has led to concerns about job losses in the legal sector. Some argue that advances in AI will result in the creation of an “iParalegal” that sifts through a firm’s knowledge management system, picking out and synthesizing relevant case law and performing tasks correlating to previous matters using transaction data that proved successful. AI would utilize game theory algorithms to sort out negotiations, propose litigation tactics, and complete due diligence and discovery processes in seconds. Documents would be mechanically drafted in the user’s personal style. Paralegals will no longer be needed to search through dusty tomes, draft documents and fill out forms. If one subscribes to this digital future, then all tasks requiring a legal intellect would be replaced by AI.

This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.

To view this content, please continue to their sites.

Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]