CALL for Book Chapters – ILETA Publication

Artificial Intelligence in the Legal Sector

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the legal sector, bringing both advantages and drawbacks to the fore (Brooks et al. 2020; Leslie et al. 2021; Gigi et al. 2023).

Lawyers are confronted with structural and procedural challenges never met before (Brooks et al. 2020). Intelligent machines, in fact, are disrupting traditional legal practices and urging legal firms to innovate workflows, processes and business models (ibid.).

In addition, there are ethical and socio-political implications in the use of AI (Gordon 2021). Leslie et al. (2021) posit that stereotypes may be ingrained in the design and development of AI systems; therefore, they may give rise to biases and discriminating patterns. 

Biases might even be included in the input data used to train AI algorithms, thus exacerbating potential prejudices and unfair treatments. In this respect, Ferrara (2023) explores the sources of AI bias, its societal impacts, and possible mitigation strategies. Gordon (2021) also discusses issues such as machine bias, legal decision-making, and the need for a robust legal framework to address AI-generated issues. The author proposes a General AI Law (GAIL) framework, to ensure that AI technologies serve justice rather than undermine it. In this respect, the European Regulation 2024/1689 (“AI Act”) has laid down strict rules on the use AI-driven systems. 

For example, the Act establishes that the AI tools used in the administration of justice are to be considered as highly risky, especially when laws are applied to concrete facts. In addition to biases and possible discriminating scenarios, there are many examples of falsifications and nonsensical outputs generated by intelligent machines (Emsley 2023). Giampieri (2024), for example, analyses the quality of chatbot-generated contracts.

The study concludes that the contracts produced by AI neglect both field-related language and system specificities. Due to their incompleteness, the contract drafts contain a series of linguistic and legal fallacies. The findings assert that, at least in the case of contract generation and the two chatbots discussed, human intervention and oversight are required to solve the flaws caused by AI.

On the other hand, scholars also highlight the benefits produced by AI. Intelligent machines, for example, AI-powered systems can improve access to justice by enabling online dispute resolution and predictive analytics for court decisions (Kauffman & Soares 2020).

In addition, AI-based solutions allow legal firms to reduce their costs. Repetitive operations can be automated (Brook et al. 2020) and legal services have become more affordable and accessible.

Abbott (2020) examines the capability of AI-driven software to process large volumes of data. This obviously improves and expedites legal research and decision-making procedures. 

In such a rapidly evolving scenario, this volume wishes to explore the advantages and drawbacks of AI-based systems deployed in the legal field.

The topics envisaged for discussion include (but are not limited to) the following ones:

·       AI in the system of justice (e.g. for the solution of disputes)

·       Popularisation of law via AI

·       Benefits and drawbacks of AI in the legal field

·       Challenges ahead in the use of AI in the legal field

·       Applications of AI in bureaucracy

·       Future scenarios in the use of AI in drafting legal documents

·       AI in multi-cultural legal settings

·       AI applications which foster gender-neutral language

·       AI applications which foster plain language

·       When AI divides instead of unifying (and/or vice-versa)

·       AI and legal language: challenges for the EU

·       AI and legal translation 

References

Abbott, Ryan. 2020. The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Brooks, Chay, Gherhes, Cristian, & Vorley, Tim. 2020. Artificial intelligence in the legal sector: Pressures and challenges of transformation. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 13(1): 135–152. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsz026

Emsley, Robin. 2023. ChatGPT: these are not hallucinations – they’re fabrications and falsifications. Schizophrenia 9(52): 1-2.

Ferrara, Emilio. 2023. Fairness and bias in artificial intelligence: a brief survey of sources, impacts, and mitigation strategies. Sci 6(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/sci6010003.

Giampieri, Patrizia. 2024. AI-Powered Contracts: a critical analysis. Int J Semiot Law https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-024-10137-z.

Gigi, Gisa Mariam, Rajesh, Nikhitha, Mohan, Sania A. T., & Thekkanath, Biju A. 2023. AI Contract: Future and Scope in Legal System. International Journal of Advance and Applied Research 10(6): 237-240.

Gordon, John S. 2021. AI and law: ethical, legal, and socio-political implications. AI & Soc 36: 403-404. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01194-0.

Kauffman, Marco E., & Soares, Marcelo N. 2020. AI in legal services: new trends in AI-enabled legal services. SOCA 14: 223-226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11761-020-00305-x.

Leslie, David, Burr, Christopher, Aitken, Mhairi, Cowls, Josh, Katell, Mike, & Briggs, Morgan. 2021. Artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law: a primer. The Council of Europe. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4639743.

The contributions must be in English.

Editors: 

Avv. Sofia Parastatidou (president.ileta@gmail.com)

Prof. Patrizia Giampieri (patrizia.giampieri@unicam.it)

Please send your abstract (300-500 words) to the Editors by 20 January 2025. Abstracts must include a list of some of the academic and scientific works cited (or that you intend to cite) in your contribution. To submit your contribution please fill in this form ILETA Publishing – Submission of Chapter for AI in the Legal Sector.

Notifications of acceptance within 4 weeks from submission