Robot lawyers are here. They are few but already among us with the promise of more to come.
Relax. There is nothing to worry about. The ability to harness artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge data-driven technologies are and will continue to be a good thing for all of us in the legal industry.
Yes. We are talking about total disruption. We are talking about what every attorney faces in the near future; one that is already here.
Too many industry professionals consider LegalTech to be nothing more than a buzzword, without an appreciation for what it means or what “tech” is involved. That lack of vision not only hurts lawyers, but it harms and holds back the entire profession.
Unfortunately, the law business, while having embraced some small changes along the way, still operates much as it has for 140 years, since before Thomas Edison conjured up the light bulb. When it comes to process, delivery models and outcome assurance, the legal industry has been immune to the same transformational technological changes that have swept over so many other industries as of late, from transportation to finance.
By and large, the stagnation and reluctance in law to leverage technology have been at the expense of not only practitioners but the clients they serve. And historically, every time technology has been introduced to address a problem, it is immediately met with skepticism, mistrust and cross-examination techniques typically reserved for opponents. And enemies.