Robo-Lawyer: AI Legal Assistant to Help Defendant Fight Speeding Ticket in World First

A visitor holds a hand of AILA, or Artificial Intelligence Lightweight Android, during a d
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In a world first, an AI system is set to help a defendant contest a parking ticket in a U.S. court of law next month. The company behind the “RobotLawyer” program, DoNotPay, claims that the AI system will provide a more affordable option for legal representation in cases such as parking and speeding tickets.

New Scientist reports that an artificial intelligence program is set to assist a defendant in a US court case next month in a groundbreaking move. The program, which will be run on a smartphone and supply appropriate responses to the defendant through an earpiece, has been developed by DoNotPay, a company founded in 2015 to help individuals fight against large organizations. While the identities of the defendant and the court remain undisclosed, it is known that the case involves a speeding ticket.

This marks the first time that DoNotPay, which describes itself as a “RobotLawyer, has used its AI program to defend a case in court. The program will analyze data from past cases to prepare the defense for the individual and respond to questions raised in court. If the AI’s advice does not help the client, DoNotPay has agreed to pay for the speeding ticket.

DoNotPay’s CEO, Joshua Browder, told New Scientist that the company had found a court where listening via an earpiece was within the rules, even though it might be outside the spirit of the rules. However, whether other courts will accept AI as legal counsel in the short term remains to be seen.

The use of AI in the legal field is a relatively new development, but one that has the potential to impact the way cases are handled. The program, which costs just $36 per year, can assist with various issues beyond speeding tickets, including helping individuals cancel subscriptions and fight parking tickets.

Read more at New Scientist here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan

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