The Dark Side of Technology in Law
Sebastian Ko · 2020
In law, technology could enable or Impede access to justice. Many legal professionals are still unable to get comfortable with LegalTech adoption, because commonly associated risks have yet to be adequately addressed in the market. This chapter examines the pitfalls facing legal innovators, technologists and users today, and how they could be avoided. New legal solutions are blending technology products and legal services. Increasingly, the output of artificially intelligent LegalTech resembles regulated activities that constitute legal practice. However, a deeper set of ethical, economic and legal problems arises where processes for making legally relevant decisions are delegated to, impaired or otherwise influenced by emerging technologies. Improperly managed, LegalTech use could lead to the loss and impairment of fundamental rights, such as legal professional privilege and access to legal representation.