The 'Dehumanization Of Law': US Supreme Court's Concern Over AI In Legal Systems

The U.S. Supreme Court has highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing role in the legal field. However, the court has also cautioned about the potential misuse of AI, which it believes could lead to “dehumanizing the law.”

What Happened: A Mashable report detailed the “2023 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary” and its focus on the implications of AI in the legal system, published on Sunday. U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. paralleled AI to past technological advancements like personal computers.

Roberts noted AI’s potential to make legal aid more accessible but also expressed concern about the inherent risks, particularly when misused. He underscored the need for human discretion and understanding of context in judicial decisions. Noting that AI models often contain unintentional bias, Roberts warned that allocating such power to an algorithm could result in unfair outcomes.

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Why It Matters: This concern follows recent incidents highlighting the potential dangers of AI in the legal field. In March 2023, a legal AI platform, DoNotPay, was sued for unlicensed practice of law and poor legal advice. The platform, aimed at offering low-cost legal assistance, was working on a feature to generate ‘one-click lawsuits’ using AI.

Furthermore, a landmark case in May 2023 saw the U.S. Supreme Court rule against a computer scientist who tried to patent inventions created by his AI, DABUS. This raised questions about AI-created intellectual property ownership and future patent law in an age of rapidly advancing technology.

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