Law firm set to offer "robot" lawyers

South African law firm Buys Inc. plans to introduce a trio of "robot" lawyers next year designed to offer online legal advice to customers, Business Day reports.  We've got to admit we were a bit disappointed when we realized the so-called robots (named Stacey, Dave and Nathan) were just AI software and not bona fide nuts-and-bolts bots ready to bust out all Johnny Cochrane-style in the courtroom but, hey, you gotta start somewhere.  While the virtual lawyers will initially be charged only with answering basic questions and presenting training material, the law firm sees a bright future for the artificial attorneys, who may one day be able to offer quicker turnaround times and, most importantly, lower legal fees than their human counterparts.

[YourTechSupport @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Can we get an attorney that doesn't look like a game show host or punk rocker wannabe?

Make it looke like William Shatner, I'd trust him as my lawyer.

[Pete @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Aren't they the sitepal characters?

http://www.oddcast.com/sitepal2/whatis/whatis/

(Warning! There are annoying speaking characters on that page. You might want to turn down your volume.)

[Lawyers @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

What a horrible idea.

[Prester John @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Number 5: Careful, man. You're talking about things so nasty the Geneva Conventions haven't dared discuss them... Damn, BSDs.

[3rdsun @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

those are the figures from that desktop friend software(i forget the name) where u can customize the character.

[Bible and Apologetics Teacher @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Wouldn't it be better for people to learn how to use search engines?

http://www.nolo.com

[Ilaria @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

@Number5: well, do you want to try an AI politician?
http://www.puppetpresident.net/index.html
(read the 'about' session on the site first)
http://www.bushbot.ath.cx/index.php
(this is a parody mostly, not a real chatterbot)

[Paulo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Wow, Lawyers with a soul, albeit digital, but it's a first.

I've been claiming for years that lawyers are robots with exceptionally large software theasaurus' embeded, but at least this new development gives the practice a human feel. Who knows, maybe i'll even get a deffinitive answer, rather than a lesson in Latin.

These software based robots (as opposed to the hardware based normally encountered) are infinatly usefull, however, i'm concerned about the potential disaster of an endless loop occuring of software lawyers discussing the ligitimacy of a contract because of a miss-placed semi-colon.

[Al @ Dec 19th 2005 2:14AM]

Why do you say "Thank God they are white"?

You are a racist.

Your post should be taken off.