AI is the current buzzword (or at least Buzz-acronym) with varying accounts of what it will do ranging from transforming our lives to killing us. Among those affected by the development of AI are of course lawyers. It also seems that AI devices are becoming more human. There was a report at the end of May (Sunday Telegraph 28 May) that Chat GPT had made up cases that a lawyer put before the court. If computers deploying AI can be dishonest, where will that lead? Will AI judges deliver verdicts on AI lawyers, and what if the AI judges are corrupt and bribable (“Excuse me your honour but if you decide in my favour I will slip you a few extra megabytes of memory”)?
All that is for the future. Now let us go forward to the past. I contributed a chapter to a book a quarter of a century ago and I was asked to predict the shape of legal services twenty five years later (i.e. now). Here is how I ended it.
Fortunately virtual lawyers have not yet entered on the scene (and I am happy to reassure you that I am real!) but the technology is now there to create the scenario that I described then. Though I am one, I would still prefer lawyers (and doctors, and accountants, and everyone else who provides a service to mankind - even politicians) to remain human. What do you think?
“A vision of the future office
Wayne and Sharon had little difficulty in finding the impressive office of Laws-R-Us. Solicitors over the past quarter-century have moved away from the old-fashioned idea of stringing together a collection of names of old solicitors and calling it a law firm. Laws R Us with its chain of 560 outlets spread across the United Kingdom and Western Europe is the third biggest law firm in the country.
Wayne and Sharon have a shopping list of legal requirements including both divorcing their ex-partners, buying a house and making a video will. They have no difficulty in recognising the familiar lime-green and purple livery of Laws-R-Us in the North Walsham retail park. They see it every night in the advertisements on their television walls. They park in their 200-space car park and enter through the automatic doors.
Years of training at food counters in supermarkets ensure that they are patient about waiting in line. They take their queuing ticket and note that 39 people ahead of them are waiting to be served. It should not take long, as there is a whole line of receptionists at their consoles dealing with clients. While they wait, they pass the time by playing on the arcade games in the extensive reception area.
Thirty-five minutes later there is a gentle "ping" on the public address system and their number is called out. Hand-in-hand they walk to console 14 where they are to have their first and last encounter with a human being. They each swipe in their multipurpose Identity-Credit-Driving licence-card. The screen in front of them glows green with their details and shows that their account has been debited €100 for the initial consultation.
"Now Wayne and Sharon" beams the receptionist, "Your first decision is which level of service you would like from us. Our five-star gold service is generally for people who have category A incomes and would entitle you to have all your work done by a human solicitor with live consultations in the office. I don't think this would suit you, would it?"
Wayne and Sharon know that this superb level of service is way beyond their means. They shake their heads.
"As I thought. What I think is suitable for you is our Uranium Service with your affairs being handled by a virtual solicitor."
They were already familiar with virtual solicitors and had an idea what to expect. In consumer studies, virtual solicitors had shown themselves in many areas to be superior to real solicitors. They never refused to take telephone calls, were always courteous (unless clients had specifically requested the "Fawlty variant"), and never failed to meet deadlines. Virtual solicitors were also favoured, because they specialised in everything, and there was no need to go to a different solicitor to cover different problems. But clients had complained that they lacked the personal touch; some still had difficulty in coming to terms with being given intimate advice by a metal box.
The very latest equipment installed by Laws R Us offered real flexibility and had been voted best-buy in several consumer studies. Wayne and Sharon were anxious to try it.
"Good, now if you will follow me, we can get started with your first consultation. I will settle you in, and then you will have complete privacy."
They were led to a small, darkened room and ushered to seats that looked like dentist's chairs. The receptionist showed them the stop button and then placed helmets over their heads.
"When you're ready, just say 'good morning' and your consultation will begin."
They settled in and spoke. Instantly, they saw a three-dimensional image of a law office, and a voice explained to them that as they would be having a number of consultations, they could choose their environment and the type of solicitor they wanted to see. There followed a beauty parade of young and old, male and female, native and ethnic, pretty and ugly solicitors. They were taken through several virtual offices. Being conventional people Wayne and Sharon decided to choose a traditional background, and an elderly solicitor.
What they saw was a dim room and heavy, broad-backed, old-fashioned, mahogany-and-horsehair chairs along with tables with spindle-legs and dusty baize covers. The walls were lined with shelves bearing heavy legal books. Portraits of judges, resplendent in their wigs and robes peered down at them.
A thick and dingy Turkey-carpet muffled the floor where sat an old man with a starched collar flanked by two candles in old-fashioned silver candle sticks that gave a flickering light to his large room. Very few loose papers were about. The old man turned to them and asked:
"And how can I help you?"
So far I am glad that real people are able to provide these services, ideally in person still. I have been resisting even the zooming stuff during the pandemic and definitely now. But I did take advantage of a same day telehealth visit with a real nurse practitioner offered by my community health center. So no AI involved as far as I know.