AI Could Give Millions Online Legal Help. But What Will the Law Allow?

Thanks to a small but growing crop of law-savvy chatbots, you can now employ an AI-powered guide to help fight your legal battles without even setting foot in a law firm.

By Jennifer Walter
Jun 21, 2019 4:30 PMFeb 22, 2020 12:14 AM
Law Robot Lawyer Desk AI - Shutterstock
(Credit: BuffaloBoy/Shutterstock)

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So, you just got a parking ticket. Let’s assume it wasn’t the first. And let’s take that a step further and say that you absolutely, positively, do not want to pay it, or think you should, for that matter.

Or let’s say you’re in a more serious situation – you’re planning to file for divorce. You might not be able to afford an expensive attorney, or maybe you just flat-out don’t know where to start with the legal process.

Thanks to a small but growing crop of law-savvy chatbots, you can now employ an AI-powered guide to help fight your legal battles without even setting foot in a law firm.

The technology could revolutionize the process of getting legal assistance. But the use of these bots falls into a gray area that has challenged experts for decades. Although the bots themselves are relatively new to the industry, the arguments over who – or what – can assist in the legal sphere is far from a new case.

Droids on the Defense

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