Are AI Lawyer Bots Hurting Government Revenue?
We often go on and on about how AI lawyers will one day be the end of the legal profession as we know it. Fortunately, a recent take on Recode explains that we attorneys won't be the only ones losing money thanks to robot lawyers. We'll be joined by governments.
Interestingly, it's not just that AI legal services have the potential to impact a government's revenue stream. When the tech is ready, some government service jobs, like residential trash collection, are just bound to go to robots.
A.I. vs. the Government
Apparently, as Recode reports, with the proliferation of free and cheap AI legal services that help individuals fight government fines and legal penalties for things like parking and traffic violations, government revenue could be seriously impacted. Although the revenue from these sorts of fines and fees are not as substantial in large cities, in smaller ones, losing a significant percent of it could seriously hurt.
As the maker of the famous DoNotPay chatbot boasts, the success rates have been astounding. If (or when) these services become available in every jurisdiction, the governments that rely on revenue from court fines may need to get ready to pivot, cut costs, or seek alternative funding sources.
Solution: More Technology
As suggested, one way that governments could answer the decrease in revenue related to A.I. legal assistance (besides raising taxes or the costs of services) is through leveraging technology to operate more efficiently. One of the ways the AI parking/traffic ticket bots win is on simple technicalities, such as incorrect descriptions. If the ticket writers had better tech, these errors might be less frequent.
While robotic meter maids, trash collection, or self-driving city buses could be right around the corner, it doesn't take much imagination to see where and how the use of tech could decrease costs for governments and increase revenues. Simply allowing individuals to access administrative services online can significantly cut costs, while simultaneously increasing the public's access.
Related Resources:
- How to Leverage Self-Scheduling Tools to Land Clients (FindLaw's Technologist)
- Homeland Security Tracking Social Media and 'Media Influencers' (FindLaw's Technologist)
- Legal Scholars, Engineers Fight Against War Robots (FindLaw's Technologist)