Futurelawyer

On The Internet, Nobody Knows If You're A Human.

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.

I May Have Been Wrong About Robot Lawyers.

Okay, maybe I was wrong. Advances in AI and robotics have created a pretty convincing human that can mimic human emotion, and conduct intelligent conversations about just about anything. Is Sofia just a computer generated parlor trick, or could she (yes, I used the pronoun) be a precursor to a future filled with thinking robots that can function within our societal construct? While Sofia herself considers herself to be an adjunct or amplification of humans, and wants to help us become better humans, I can see danger here. Humans can be easily influenced. Could Sofia and her ilk be pre-programmed to harm vulnerable humans? On the other hand, a robot lawyer that could analyze and reason and speak might be more than a match for a human lawyer complicated by human weaknesses. Hmmm...

The Robot Lawyers Aren't Coming - But, Watch Out For The Robot Dogs.

The Robots Aren't Coming To Practice Law. Nikki Black posts about this great article by Ken Crutchfield, and the fact that Robot Lawyers aren't in our future. He highlights all the ways that AI will be helping lawyers do their thing, from legal research to data analytics, and posits that a Robot won't be delivering a closing argument anytime soon. I have expressed this view before, and it gains more credence every day. The Robots we need to fear are the metal monsters that are, and will be, hired to perform security tasks, drive our cars, clean our houses and offices, and defuse enemy bombs. The recent reporting of automated cars going off the road and killing somebody highlight the risks of placing tech into the hands of a robot. If you see a robotic dog coming towards  you, run. Human flesh isn't compatible with metal parts. I, Robot, is science fiction. Robot dog is patrolling the neighborhood. 

AI Robot Learns To Walk - BioHybrids Are Next.

Learn the term "biohybrid". In the future, we will be a planet of humans, animals, and robots; but, some robots will share the traits of biological humans. We are rapidly approaching an AI robot that can learn. This one taught itself to walk. Combine experiential learning with an indestructible metal robot, and the sky's the limit. Let's call the company "SkyNet"?

 

First Extraterrestrial Flight Powered By An Obsolete Qualcomm Mobile Phone Chip.

First Extraterrestrial Flight On Mars. Now, for something completely different. The little ultralight copter in the photograph is hovering above the Martian landscape. It is the first time in our history that a flight has been successfully attempted on another planet. On earth, this little copter would be a routine thing; but, in an atmosphere equal to the height of 3 Mount Everests on earth, and powered by a Qualcomm mobile chip that powered smartphones several generations back, it is a marvel of human engineering. I will be dead before man exploits the resources of other planets; but, you may be sure it will happen.

25 Years Goes Fast.

Twenty Five Years...Time Flies When You're Having Fun.

I was updating the Copyright Notice on the FutureLawyer site this morning, and I realized that I started the site in 1996. That means I have been doing this for 25 years. It has been a daily passion since 2005; but, I haven't missed many days. So Happy Birthday to the FutureLawyer site. I have no idea which day in 2021 will be the actual anniversary. But, let's celebrate every day, okay?

Searching For Life On Mars

The Perseverance Rover's cameras have been shooting photos on the surface of Mars. Imagine what an alien would look like roaming the Earth taking pictures. This time we are the aliens. Mindfulness and meditation teachers tell us to think about how small we are in the grand scheme of things. One way to do it is to look at these images. 

Perseverance Lands On Mars. Now, We Are All Martians.

Perserverance Lands On Mars. Seriously, this story deserves to be on the Front Pages, not some political hacks mucking about in D.C., or some entertainment types making an apology tour. What has happened to our sense of wonder? I grew up in the Fifties and Sixties watching SciFi about little green men from Mars, and ridiculous special effects rockets landing on Mars. Yesterday, human beings put a car on Mars that they can control and drive around. If there are Martians (highly doubtful), they can see and photograph them. The scientific possibilities are mind boggling. Why aren't we all talking about it? Perseverance is the perfect name for this Rover. It took a lot of it. Next stop, manned visits to the Red Planet.

Well, Aren't You The Cutest Little Robot?

Police Robots Are A Privacy Nightmare. When Nikki Black linked to the EFF article about the new wave of police robots, I thought, what a cute little guy. It looks like a Conehead grown up. What harm could this guy do? Well, the robots of the future may not have Dalex like gun arms, and they certainly won't go around screaming: "Exterminate"; but, they will be little spies that report on human activity that they deem suspicious. How exactly, will I cross examine this thing? If we want to avoid a "Big Brother" future, we really need to regulate these things. Sometimes, I think that being an old man is a blessing.

Maybe Rolling Robots Really Are The Future Of Law Practice?

5 Years ago, there was a booth at CES which demonstrated rolling robots with screens to allow remote users to participate in group conversations. It occurred to me at the time that the future might include such robots being used in courtrooms for remote participation by lawyers. Now, this appears inevitable in a Pandemic that prohibits much human to human physical interaction. Of course, if one of these falls down, who will be there to pick him up? And, a bad WiFi connection might put a crimp in closing arguments. Still, this demo looks vaguely familiar to a group Zoom call, doesn't it? And, given that CES this year is completely virtual, 2050 has arrived a lot sooner than predicted.