Many lawyers worry that artificial intelligence will take over parts of their profession. While AI has made tedious tasks—like document review and drafting discovery requests—easier, lawyers have long taken comfort in believing that machines can’t replicate specific professional duties and ethical responsibilities. But that assumption is now being challenged.
The creation of “Tilly Norwood,” a fully AI-generated actress, has shaken the entertainment industry. Tilly doesn’t need rest, representation, or union membership, and she can work endlessly—raising the question: could AI “lawyers” be next? Imagine “Arthur Indolent” (A.I.), a virtual attorney. Would such an AI be allowed to give legal advice, take depositions, or represent clients? Would it need a bar license, complete continuing education, or maintain a trust account? And how would ethical and professional standards apply?
AI is already creeping into dispute resolution. The American Arbitration Association uses AI to “enhance” mediation—but not to “replace human mediators entirely.” That phrase raises concern: if not “entirely,” then how much? What happens to human mediators and lawyers when AI begins handling these roles?
The implications are unsettling. How would courts sanction an AI that makes errors or “hallucinates”? Could AI become a judge—or even replace juries? And as law firms face staffing challenges, would AI “lawyers” be used to fill the gaps, valued for their tirelessness rather than their ethics or humanity?
Jill Switzer ends on a cautionary note: AI isn’t a distant threat. It’s already entering the profession at the margins. If AI doesn’t need law school, exams, or sleep, what will distinguish human lawyers from their artificial counterparts? Warning —half-seriously, half in dread—that like HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, AI may have the last laugh.
Source: Above The Law
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