Most
lawyers
have
fretted
from
time
to
time
about
the
encroachment
of
artificial
intelligence
on
the
work
that
they
do.
Although
it
is
a
relief
not
to
have
to
do
document
review
until
your
eyes
are
bleary,
and
it
is
also
a
relief
not
to
have
to
draft
basic
discovery
documents
(those
pesky
interrogatories,
requests
for
admission,
and
document
requests)
or
respond
to
them
with
objections
and
redactions
galore,
up
to
now,
there
has
been
some
comfort
in
thinking
that
certain
duties,
responsibilities,
and
obligations
that
lawyers
have
cannot
be
replicated
by
AI.
Is
that
still
the
case?
How
many
people
have
read
the
recent
stories
about
the
creation
of
an
AI
actress?
This development
has
the
entertainment
world
in
a
tizzy
and
rightfully
so.
Her
name
is
Tilly
Norwood
(a
nice
name
for
an
actress),
but
Tilly
is
not
a
real
person.
She
is
an
AI
creation.
I
am
not
making
this
up.
Just
Google
Tilly’s
name
to
read
stories
about
her
and
what
her
potential
is
to
affect
the
entertainment
industry
and
not
in
good
ways.
She
doesn’t
have
to
belong
to
a
union
to
get
work,
she
doesn’t
have
a
limit
on
her
working
hours,
and
she
probably
won’t
need
publicists,
agents,
and
others
in
the
entourage
that
have
been
hallmarks
of
the
talent
industry.
I
started
thinking
(always
perilous
for
me)
about
what
would
happen
if
AI
started
to
create
lawyers?
Would
there
be
any
restrictions
on
the
kind
of
work
that
they
could
do?
Let’s
name
one
lawyer:
Arthur
Indolent
(aka
AI
for
short).
What
would
AI
be
allowed
to
do?
Would
AI
be
able
to
take
or
defend
depositions?
Would
AI
be
able
to
meet
with
clients
(most
likely
over
Zoom)
and
provide
legal
advice?
What
would
that
do
to
the
requirement
that
attorneys
be
admitted
to
a
bar?
Would
AI
create
his
own
bar
license?
Would
AI
even
need
to
pass
a
bar
exam
to
practice,
let
alone
go
to
law
school?
(Note
that
Utah
has
announced
an
alternative
path
to
licensing.)
What
about
the
ethical
responsibilities
and
duties
of
real
life
lawyers?
Would
they
apply
to
AI
and
its
cohort?
If
not,
would
there
be
any
guardrails
to
prevent
horror
stories
like
Tom
Girardi
and
others?
Would
AI
have
to
maintain
a
trust
account?
And
would
there
be
any
reason
for
AI
to
fulfill
CLE
requirements?
My
mind
explodes
with
all
the
possibilities
of
AI
as
lawyers.
How
do
we
compete?
But
I
am
not
done
yet.
How
would
AI
act
in
the
courtroom?
Would
an
artificial
intelligence
lawyer
be
able
to
represent
clients
in
court?
If
so,
how?
And
if
not,
why
not?
We
are
already
seeing
the
use
of
AI
in
mediation.
Not
being
bashful
about
using
AI
to
prove
my
point,
here
is
part
of
what
AI
(not
Arthur,
but
artificial
intelligence
per
Google)
reports: “AAA
[American
Arbitration
Association]
is
leveraging
AI
to
improve
the
efficiency
and
accessibility
of
mediation
services,
not
to
replace
human
mediators
entirely.“
Read
that
again.
“Not
to
replace
human
mediators
entirely.”
What
does
“not
replace
entirely”
mean?
What
does
that
mean
for
lawyers
who
mediate
and
those
full-time
mediators?
Should
we
start
looking
for
side
gigs?
What
will
be
their
futures?
What
will
be
ours?
How
will
a
court
discipline
AI
that
hallucinates?
Will
there
be
any
remedy?
Sanctions
may
well
be
laughable.
Collectible?
Please.
And
what
if
as
it
probably
will,
AI
wants
to
become
a
judge
someday?
Is
that
a
possibility?
What
about
jury
panels?
Will
they
be
composed
of
AIs
as
well?
And
I
won’t
even
get
started
on
judicial
AI
FUBARS.
Those
deserve
their
own
column.
We
can’t
say
that
Tilly
Norwood
and
her
cohorts
will
leave
us
alone.
Junior
Tilly
Norwoods
are
already
present
at
the
basic
levels
of
lawyering.
Unfortunately,
I
am
not
hallucinating
about
all
this,
although
perhaps
some
of
you
will
think
so.
AI
and
its
cohorts
are
coming
for
us,
in
ways
big
and
small.
What
use
will
a
bar
exam
be
if
AI
doesn’t
need
one
to
take
one?
What
will
differentiate
us
from
them?
I
know,
many
of
you
are
chortling
now,
but
remember
HAL
from
“2001:
A
Space
Odyssey.”
Who
had
the
last
chortle
there?
And
for
those
Biglaw
firms
that
populate
ATL’s
Spine
Index,
using
AI
“persons”
might
be
a
way
to
staff
up,
replacing
lawyers
who
have
left.
The
good
news
for
those
firms
is
that
an
AI
replacement
lawyer
need
not
have
a
spine.
Jill
Switzer
has
been
an
active
member
of
the
State
Bar
of
California
for
over
40
years.
She
remembers
practicing
law
in
a
kinder,
gentler
time.
She’s
had
a
diverse
legal
career,
including
stints
as
a
deputy
district
attorney,
a
solo
practice,
and
several
senior
in-house
gigs.
She
now
mediates
full-time,
which
gives
her
the
opportunity
to
see
dinosaurs,
millennials,
and
those
in-between
interact
—
it’s
not
always
civil.
You
can
reach
her
by
email
at
[email protected].