Peer to Peer Magazine

39 WWW.ILTANET.ORG Artificial Intelligence Systems and the Law FEATURES When you hear the term "artificial intelligence," what comes to mind? Perhaps you imagine something you've seen in a Sci-Fi movie or something you've read about. Maybe you're already familiar with the technologies now performing tasks that were once the exclusive domain of humans. ANDREW ARRUDA Andrew Arruda is the CEO and cofounder of ROSS Intelligence. ROSS is the world's first artificially intelligent attorney. Previous to ROSS Intelligence, Andrew worked at a litigation boutique in Toronto, Canada and with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development in Lisbon, Portugal. Contact him at aa@rossintelligence.com and follow him on Twitter @andrewarruda. As we examine the concept, we will define it this way: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a computer that learns to perform intelligent tasks we usually think only humans can do. We're expecting a computer to complete human tasks. More Than One Kind of Smart We break AI into four categories: Machine learning, natural language processing, vision and speech. » Machine learning describes a system that can take data points, process them to improve performance at completing a task, and then loop that process to continue doing the task while continuously improving. » Natural language processing is when a computer can understand human language. The computer can interpret what a human actually means — deciphering intent and therefore providing more accurate and relevant answers and search results. » Vision is the computer having the ability to interpret images, identify them and describe them, which is a task humans perform automatically. » Speech is a system like Siri that can speak and interpret oral language, so you can have a back- and-forth interaction. AI and the Legal Sphere There's much on the AI horizon of the legal environment, and there is much already in play. For example, the ROSS system is built upon IBM's cognitive computer Watson. It's an artificially intelligent aorney designed to help with legal research. It is using machine learning and natural language processing. Natural language processing and machine learning can assist with contract draing and review; and there are inroads with the use of imaging to analyze legal documents and decipher different factors, which allows lawyers to do their jobs more efficiently. With speech systems, a possible future application is the computer debating various sides of an issue. What's exciting is that we're already seeing the ability of AI to help lawyers do more. That's the real promise of AI. It's about scaling human lawyer capability and capacity and allowing them to perform beer than ever before. These systems can be developed and brought to market remarkably quickly. With ROSS, it was about 11 months from day one of development until it was commercially released. AI's ability to continue to learn from its users was a driving factor in the rapid development cycle.

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