The Hot Topic at Kilkenny Law Festival this weekend - AI and the Law

The prospect of having an artificial intelligence bot deciding on your court case might not be so fanciful as one might believe. This is one of the extraordinary potential next steps for AI in the legal field and society more generally, that experts speaking at this weekend's Kilkenny Law Festival will explore.

One of the speakers, Dr Alastair Moore, professor of AI and machine learning at the University of London and who is involved with multiple AI and legal technology startups, said in advance of the festival:  “AI will be integral to most management and decision making - and that will include the Judicial process without a doubt.”

Enda Leahy, of Irish tech firm Courtsdesk, will tell attendees about the threats caused by so-called "hallucinations" some AI models that create fake legal precedent cases - invented rulings that don't exist. However, he and fellow panellists will also discuss the major benefits to legal firms, media organisations and government agencies of using certain AI-enhanced tools and systems.

Leahy, CEO of Courtsdesk, which now partners with the UK government to make court case data for public interest use-cases said: 

"In the legal space it's  fair to say that AI is the single biggest threat to the established order there has ever been. Leaving trivial efficiencies aside, the way people interact directly with the law is already changing - it's not a matter of if but when AI-systems will actually become the judge - the adjudicator - in a really wide variety of cases.''

"And for example, in the US, sentencing in the majority of states is based on an AI system which assesses how likely people are to reoffend (not without controversy obviously). People often exaggerate the impact of AI in general, but the law is an area that is most specifically ripe for disruption at every level, because by its nature it is based on text, logic and a lot of minor processes and box ticking that can now be easily automated.''

"And, even though you probably don't know it, this trend is already affecting you. For example a huge number of credit scoring systems are based on AI - referred to as Automated Decision Making. That was recently challenged in the EU courts after a mobile phone company refused to give someone a phone contract based on an AI-generated risk score. “

The brand new festival takes place in Kilkenny this weekend with the aim of “bringing lightness and insight to the law". The event takes place from Friday, May 16th to Sunday May 18th in Kilkenny City.

Set up by Kilkenomics festival co-director and producer, Naoise Nunn; together with barrister and podcast host, Mark Tottenham; and legal tech founder, Enda Leahy, Kilkenny Law Festival is a weekend of engaging and entertaining events examining contemporary and historic legal subjects, aimed at bringing a greater understanding of the law to a wider audience.

The lineup includes Judges Alice Doyle, Marguerite Bolger and Richard Humphreys; author, Mark O’Connell; legal academics, Colin Harvey and Larry Donnelly; barristers Mark Tottenham, Peter Leonard, Michael O’Doherty and Sarah Freeman; criminal defence solicitor Michael Lanigan; journalists Nicola Tallant, Sarah Carey, Niall Donald and Dearbhail McDonald; film maker Sinéad O’Shea; historians Donal Fallon and Sergeant Paul Maher; legal tech experts Niall Roche and Dr. Alastair Moore; and comedians Colm O’Regan and Paddy Cullivan.

Shows include a screening of Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story by Sinéad O’Shea, a talk on censorship; fireside chats and podcasts with judges; a discussion on a new Constitution for a United Ireland; mapping the future of legal tech and AI; a coming American constitutional crisis; a debate on libel, defamation and the media; Mark O’Connell on the Malcolm McArthur murders; the merger of the Garda Siochána and DMP 100 years ago; the Crime World podcast with Nicola Tallant; the Murder of Wolfe Tone with Paddy Cullivan; and a legal-eyed review of the Sunday newspapers.

The festival takes place at the Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny and historic Hole in the Wall venue from Friday, May 16th to Sunday May 18th. Tickets and schedule are available at www.kilkennylawfestival.com

Slán go fóill.