Elon Musk Thinks We Are In A Computer Simulation. Are we all living in the Matrix? Are we AI robots living in a computer simulation created and controlled by aliens or some superior species? Or, are we being controlled by future versions of our own species? Elon Musk thinks it is almost a certainty. Rapid advances in technology over the past few years create the possibility that, someday, we will be unable to distinguish between virtual reality and what we call reality now. Consider that it isn't really any less rational to believe in a Matrix type simulation than it is to believe in an unseen Supreme Being we call God. The commonality between both beliefs is what we call Faith. So, if we are robots, and God is an alien, what happens when we die? Perhaps our consciousness is loaded into another robot. But, if that were the case, wouldn't there be a lot of us running around with memories of past lives? Oh, wait, there are some people who say they are. While I love the concept of robots with human consciousness, I have enough trouble getting through the day already. Now, get back in the Matrix, and let me get to it.
Robot Lawyers. While the use of a robot pretending to be a human lawyer is a catchy headline, the reality is that AI and robots are being used in law as deep analysis tools for data that is too big or complex for humans. Like vaccinations, AI is not 100% effective. But, when AI can predict legal results with greater than 90% accuracy, it is time to use it in situations that demand better decision making. Predicting the likely outcome of a proposed legal strategy, or assisting access to justice by creating legal pleadings from facts inserted into a computer by a lay person, and analysis of millions of data that is available in a dispute, are all likely uses. Robotics is just our way of making computer analysis human friendly. We like to see a human like figure. Unless, of course, the robot takes the form of an armed security bot that is roaming around shooting bullets.
Susskind predicts that lawyers will train like Astronauts with VR. Legal futurist Richard Susskind shares my view that VR glasses are suitable for much more than spatial visual training for members of the military and astronauts. While these professionals navigate real space and time, and operate complex machinery such as jet aircraft and space vehicles, lawyers navigate courtrooms, and interact with other lawyers, judges, juries and clients. Some of my most beneficial law school training didn't come from long nights reading case law out of a book. We had trial practice training also, and pretended to try cases in real courtrooms. But, that kind of training is expensive and requires a large group of people focused on one matter during a semester of training. VR has the promise of creating such environments inside a headset, and the power of AI can bring a realistic edge to practical training. When dial up access to the Internet and computer video cameras became available in the last century, I saw the promise of a future in which I could be a lawyer in the cloud, conducting hearings and consultations while sitting at my desk looking at a computer screen. I saw the benefits of not having to hop in a car, drive to a courthouse, park the car, walk to a courtroom, sit waiting on a hearing, and then going back to the office. Look at us now.
The Legal Assistants Of Tomorrow. I get asked all the time how I manage to practice law without secretaries and legal assistants. Truth, I had the benefit of human assistance for many years. That competent help enabled me to take on litigation and other complex tasks that one person couldn't handle. But, a combination of technology, a fascination with how tech could enable law practice, and things like remote working and the Pandemic has made it clear that handling some administrative tasks with the assistance of increasingly able tech, is the future of law practice. My legal assistant these days weighs 3 pounds, never calls in sick (although it can quit sometimes until I reboot it), is available for work 24-7, and doesn't complain when I work odd hours. While this article makes it seem like awareness of this trend is recent, many lawyers and firms recognized it over a decade ago. I kept a legal assistant until she retired, and never replaced her. Yes, I would have needed admin help if I had continued a practice with a heavy focus on litigation; but, even now, more and more litigation is happening on a computer. Efiling, Zoom hearings, and other innovations have leveled the playing field. Legal research is done by a single lawyer at a computer. Only one face and voice is needed on a Zoom hearing call. Billing, email, and many other admin tasks can be performed efficiently by one person at a computer. Tailor your practice to what you want; not what you think the world wants to see.
Avatar.
He stared at the computer screen,
brightly lit in the dim room,
and the avatar showed a beautiful woman,
dark haired and luminous skin
dressed is a skin tight costume,
moving like a human.
Her voice was natural and alluring,
and beckoned to him,
with a lilting tone
that said come hither
and be with me.
He created his own avatar,
and they spoke together in a virtual room
created in the mind of a computer,
with trees and sky and buildings,
that sprang from nothing
and were whatever color he wanted them to be.
They spoke of love and longing,
and emptied their hearts of secrets
they had hidden for most of their lives.
Was their communication
real?
Their hearts spoke their truth,
and their minds connected
unfettered by contemporary notions
of love and physical beauty.
Were they in love with a computer created reality?
How could they know whether the avatar
was speaking as a human or an AI?
Did it matter?
What if the important thing
was connection with another being,
human or not?
What if the connection
was only important to the person
connected?
He turned the computer off,
and went back to his wife,
who wondered where he might be.
When Bar Associations Innovate, Everybody Wins. Nikki Black and I are fascinated by robots, and are both prepared to be ruled by our coming robot overlords. Okay, it is tongue and cheek; but, this article by Nikki highlights the innovation that is spawning new methods of human contact, and, of interest to us in the legal field, new ways to connect with colleagues and clients. Using a virtual world with avatars to create connections between lawyers is truly innovative. There have been various attempts over the years to create virtual worlds; but, computers and technology weren't advanced enough. I have even toyed with them using Oculus Quest virtual reality headsets. But, the next question, of course, is whether we can trust and rely on an Avatar dispensing legal advice. Are we speaking to a human using an avatar or an AI machine? Some would say the AI has vastly superior knowledge and a better ability to analyze facts and case law. But, what about the human ability to sense truth in personal contact? I, for one, welcome our coming AI overlords. But, only as an adjunct to legal practice. Make humans better with AI. But, let's not replace ourselves yet.
