We like to think we've moved past the workplace sexism of the 1950s, when men were professionals and women were secretaries. But while women have managed to break out of those subservient roles, the genders we assign to artificial-intelligence robots suggests our prejudices haven't made as much progress. After law firm BakerHostetler hired an AI "lawyer" named ROSS, journalist Rose Eveleth noted that the male name was somewhat unusual in the world of AI. I would just like to note that all the assistant AIs are given female names, but the lawyer AI is named Ross. Critics have previously noted that most AI assistants--including Apple's Siri, Google Now, Amazon's Alexa, and Microsoft's Cortana--sound like women.

TOKYO, May 16, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UBIC, Inc. (Nasdaq:UBIC) (TSE:2158), a leading provider of international litigation support and big-data analysis services, and Hearts United Group Co., Ltd. announced today that on June 1, they will launch DH-AI, a next-generation system designed to detect potential signs of risk contained in comments and other content posted on the Internet using UBIC's KIBIT artificial intelligence (AI) engine. Since UBIC started engaging in joint research with Hearts United Group in October 2015, both companies set out to develop cutting-edge debugging technologies and services using AI. By leveraging their technical expertise, the companies have made steady progress researching AI-based debugging and are now preparing the service for commercialization. In recent years, many firms have launched community and blog websites as a channel to communicate with end users, so as to promote their products and services. Increasingly, malicious comments have been posted on such websites, which often serve to incite hostile exchanges or mislead customers about products and services, resulting in damage to the companies' public images.

ROSS Intelligence cofounder and licensed attorney Andrew Arruda reportedly believes artificial intelligence is the future of the legal system. Have you ever heard about an artificial intelligence-driven attorney? Well, global law firm BakerHostetler recently announced the employment of a non-human lawyer created by ROSS Intelligence. Artificial intelligence has indeed proved its many uses to mankind despite its reported looming existential threats. Recently, the hottest technology of AI has invaded the legal system.

U.S. law firm Baker & Hostetler has employed ROSS, an AI robot, to manage their bankrupty practice. It calls its newest employee'the world's first artificially intelligent attorney'. ROSS is built on IBM's cognitive computing platform Watson. It is designed to read and understand language. Its job is to respond to questions with cited answers. It analyses billions of documents and goes through entire readings on legislation, case law and secondary sources to come up with precise results.

An "artificial-intelligence attorney" created using technology from IBM's Watson has snagged its first customer, but that doesn't mean it'll be appearing in the courtroom anytime soon. Law firm Baker & Hostetler said this week that it will use the "AI lawyer" ROSS as a resource for the 50 lawyers in its bankruptcy division, which has helped advise proceedings related to the Bernie Madoff case. Essentially, ROSS is an advanced a research tool. It reads and draws inferences from existing laws to answer questions about specific cases or guidelines that users can ask using natural language. Its machine-learning capabilities allow it to continue improving its answers, and the system can also help keep lawyers up-to-date about new rulings.

Australian managing partner of Pinsent Masons David Rennick said its new matter management system called Turn Frame was the beginnings of artificial intelligence and was enabling lawyers to provide more consistent, accurate and quicker outcomes. "We are embracing the predictions of'robo-lawyers' in the industry and developing artificial intelligence products in direct response to the challenge," he Rennick said. The system could disaggregate large matters and import details, issues and documentation from its knowledge bank to help prepare different aspects of the current case. It had used the system for around 8000 files so far in contract risk reviews, project management of large matters, disputes and property.

When it comes to law, and legal review, we want an attorney's hands on, or at least near the wheel at all times. Our Hybrid Multimodal approach includes an autopilot mode using active machine learning, but our attorneys are always responsible. They may allow the programmed AI to take over in some situations, and go hands free, much like autonomous parallel parking or highway driving, but they always control the journey.

Google it today and you'll see that the European Commission has turned up the heat in its long-running probe into anti-competitive behaviour by the web's most popular search engine. EC competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, issued formal objections alleging that Google abuses its dominant position in the market of "general internet search". In particular, the EC claims that Google artificially boosts its own products in returning Google comparison shopping results in its service "Google Shopping", even if those products aren't the best or cheapest – the "most relevant", as the Commission puts it – for consumers. Since taking office in November 2014, Vestager has made the Google inquiry a top priority, signalling a willingness to consider court battles and hefty fines if Google and other digital giants don't fall into line with European competition law. In this, she has displayed a distinct shift from her predecessor, Joaquín Almunia, whose multiple attempts to achieve private settlement with Google fell apart a year ago, before descending into a political and economic boxing match.

Many of us fear that the machines will slowly take over and from the looks of it, there might be a time when they will even replace humans in the courtroom, perhaps making it harder for fresh law graduates to find a job straight out of law school. That can be the norm when law firms start hiring "lawyers" powered by artificial intelligence like veteran law firm BakerHostetler did recently. BakerHostetler has "hired" ROSS, it's first digital attorney, who will be performing duties as a legal researcher at the law firm. ROSS is attached with the firm's bankruptcy team and will be helping them with researching cases and facts as they build their cases. This may not be the only law firm that sees that digital lawyers powered by artificial intelligence can prove to be more competent researchers.

We like to think we've moved past the workplace sexism of the 1950s, when men were professionals and women were secretaries. But while women have managed to break out of those subservient roles, the genders we assign to artificial-intelligence robots suggests our prejudices haven't made as much progress. After law firm BakerHostetler hired an AI "lawyer" named ROSS, journalist Rose Eveleth noted that the male name was somewhat unusual in the world of AI. I would just like to note that all the assistant AIs are given female names, but the lawyer AI is named Ross. Critics have previously noted that most AI assistants--including Apple's Siri, Google Now, Amazon's Alexa, and Microsoft's Cortana--sound like women.