Lex Ex Machina: A conference on law's computability

Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and data science are rekindling interest in applying computation to more aspects of legal process and decision-making. This is particularly evident through the development of various AI-leveraging LegalTech applications to assist with legal practice and business, law enforcement, and the prediction of case outcomes, among other things. The use of algorithmic decision-making (ADM) systems to replicate, and in some cases: replace, human judges and other decision-makers has, however, preoccupied the attention of the public, media, and scholars. Powles and Nissenbaum suggest that the'seductive diversion' of solving the'bias problem' makes the totalisation of AI in society contingent on solving narrow computational puzzles and'ethics washing' away hard questions, bad business practices and worse ideas. Not more fundamental questions about the compatibility of autonomous systems with the rule of law, deliberative democracy, and ultimately: should we be building them at all?