Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our society. Beyond the currently hyped systems such as ChatGPT or DALL-E, which can generate images, the technology has also found its way into the daily work of lawyers and even judges. At present, such applications are still in their early stages, but AI has the potential to change our justice system. Yet as well as promising significant benefits, it also raises new ethical and legal questions. Most importantly, it will change the roles and skill requirements for lawyers and judges.
By deploying AI, law firms and courts will be able to work more efficiently and automate repetitive tasks. Let’s hope this will reduce the notorious backlog of cases in courts today. AI-powered systems are already being used by lawyers, for example to analyse large amounts of data and contracts. And some courts in the United States are using AI systems to assist with sentencing decisions or predict an offender’s risk of recidivism.
