ROSS review: “Lawyers need to keep up with AI”

By
Ava Chisling
-
June 12, 2017

Quick article review

On the importance of embracing artificial intelligence, Carole J. Piovesan from McCarthy Tétrault’s Toronto office recently wrote in the Law Times: “As lawyers, we need to invest in understanding the technology to be able to effectively contribute to these ethical and legal discussions with all key stakeholders. The law is often criticized for trailing technology by decades. Given the pace of AI innovation and its potential implications, we can’t afford to do that here.”

Piovesan also states that “Canada, home to sophisticated academic research, technical expertise and entrepreneurial talent, can and should lead in policy thought on AI. Our startups, established companies and universities all need to talk to each other and be involved in the pressing debate about the nature and scope of societal issues resulting from AI.”

Suffice to say, we believe lawyers and other professionals should embrace all technology that is a part of our collective present and future. We are not only the ones who will benefit from these advancements — along with our clients – but we are also the people who will set the policies around how, when and where new technology is used. As Piovesan writes, “AI is expected to have a profound impact on society, whereby intelligent systems will be able to make independent decisions that will have a direct effect on human lives.”


Ava Chisling

Ava is an award-winning lawyer and editor who counsels creative types, writes about pop culture/tech+law and sometimes creates ad campaigns. She is Quebec counsel for Momentum Law.