Displaced by a robot: not just for union auto workers anymore

Meet Ross, the World's First Robot Lawyer

Ross, the first artificially intelligent attorney, just got a job. Global law firm Baker & Hostetler, one of the nation's largest, recently announced that it has hired a robot lawyer created by ROSS Intelligence, reports. Ross will be employed in the law firm's bankruptcy practice which currently employs close to 50 lawyers.

fortune.com

Ross is billed as the first robot lawyer, which somewhat overstates the case. It's really more like existing programs that provide TAR for electronic discovery, it seems to me, but for law, rather than facts.

Still, this is a displacement of what traditionally would have been billable lawyer work. It's the kind of billable lawyer work that has traditionally been much too expensive, and been a part of keeping people without significant resources (or a claim that could mean a significant return for a lawyer or firm working on contingency) out of court.

Yes, in the short term, this could mean a real problem for the legal industry as it's currently structured. Ross, if successful, will undoubtedly be disruptive in that sense. Once we become accustomed to it, though, it looks to me like a program that may on one hand allow lawyers to spend more useful time on things that Ross can't do, like strong persuasive writing and court appearances, and on the other hand increase access to justice for people who simply couldn't afford it before.

It's no surprise that Ross is starting work in a bankruptcy practice. Bankruptcy, by its nature, is dedicated to the equitable distribution of limited resources, usually at a loss to everyone. Excessive legal bills hurt everyone involved, apart possibly from bankruptcy lawyers. Any reduction in legal costs rebounds to the litigants and interested parties.

You would be foolish if this program didn't make you a little nervous as a lawyer. In the medium-to-long term, though, this could be a win for everyone.