A legal singularity is a hypothetical future point in time beyond which the law is much more completely specified,[1] with human lawmakers and other legal actors being supported by rapid technological advancements and artificial intelligence (AI), leading to a vast reduction in legal uncertainty.[2]

The legal singularity is based on the idea that as AI systems become more advanced, they will be capable of processing and analyzing vast amounts of legal data and case law more quickly and accurately than humans.[2] This could potentially lead to a situation where AI systems become the primary legal decision-makers, and humans are relegated to a more supervisory role, if any role at all.[3][4]

There is much debate around whether the legal singularity is possible or desirable among legal scholars, ethicists, and AI researchers.[5][6][7][8] While some see it as a potential way to improve legal efficiency and reduce bias,[1] others are concerned about the potential for AI systems to lead to decisions that violate fundamental human rights or perpetuate existing inequalities.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b Aidid, Abdi (2023). The legal singularity : how artificial intelligence can make law radically better. Benjamin Alarie. Toronto. ISBN 978-1-4875-2941-3. OCLC 1348635469.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ a b Alarie, Benjamin (2016). "The Path of the Law: Toward Legal Singularity". SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2767835. hdl:1807/88159. ISSN 1556-5068.
  3. ^ Weber, Robert (2021). "Will the "Legal Singularity" Hollow Out Law's Normative Core?". Michigan Technology Law Review. 27 (1): 97. doi:10.36645/mtlr.27.1.will. ISSN 2688-5484. S2CID 208278485.
  4. ^ Alarie, Benjamin; Niblett, Anthony; Yoon, Albert (2016). "Regulation by Machine". SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2878950. hdl:1807/88153. ISSN 1556-5068.
  5. ^ Markou, Christopher and Deakin, Simon F., Is Law Computable? From Rule of Law to Legal Singularity (April 30, 2020). University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3589184 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3589184
  6. ^ Cobbe, Jennifer (2019). "Legal Singularity and the Reflexivity of Law". SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3858474. ISSN 1556-5068.
  7. ^ Robert F. Weber, Will the "Legal Singularity" Hollow Out Law's Normative Core?, 27 Mich. Tech. L. Rev. 97 (2020). Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mtlr/vol27/iss1/4
  8. ^ Pasquale, Frank A. (2018-03-06). "A Rule of Persons, Not Machines: The Limits of Legal Automation". The George Washington Law Review. Rochester, NY. SSRN 3135549.
  9. ^ Hildebrandt, Mireille (2018-01-01). "Law as computation in the era of artificial legal intelligence: Speaking law to the power of statistics" (PDF). University of Toronto Law Journal. 68 (supplement 1): 12–35. doi:10.3138/utlj.2017-0044. ISSN 0042-0220.