Artificial Intelligence And The Evolution of Law

One cannot open up their computer or turn on their television for any significant amount of time without seeing or hearing about artificial intelligence. The term evokes an almost immediate emotional reaction, often with ideas of a dystopian future where the human race is no longer master of the planet. Without delving too deep into that rabbit hole, I would instead leave The Terminator and other equally bleak futures out of this particular conversation and instead focus on artificial intelligence and the law. The current application of artificial intelligence to the practice of law was a discussion topic at our most recent board of directors meeting for Loyola Law School. The discussion centered around the ability of a computer to perform a task or series of functions that had traditionally been the responsibility of a legal professional or team of professionals.