Law firm adds new researcher — and it’s a robot

One of the country’s biggest law firms has become the first to publicly announce that it has “hired” a robot lawyer to assist with bankruptcy cases.

The robot, called ROSS, has been marketed as “the world’s first artificially intelligent attorney.”

ROSS has joined the ranks of law firm BakerHostetler, which employs about 50 human lawyers just in its bankruptcy practice.

The AI machine, powered by IBM’s Watson technology, will serve as a legal researcher for the firm. It will be responsible for sifting through thousands of legal documents to bolster the firm’s cases, a job typically filled by fresh-out-of-school lawyers.

A future in which ROSS or similar robot lawyers are widely used across the country might not be far off, says Ryan Calo, a law professor and writer who focuses on the intersection of technology and law.

“Eventually, I bet not using these systems will come to be viewed as antiquated and even irresponsible, like writing a brief on a typewriter,” says Calo.

— Washington Post

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