Artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented quickly and thoroughly into almost every industry, including the legal arena. Tech companies are launching AI-driven services designed to serve both attorneys and clients. However, the advancements have left some questioning if AI is up to the job. 

AI combines a variety of disciplines and tools, including human psychology, visual recognition tools, predictive outcomes, machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to be useful. Despite this impressive array of techniques, can AI replace a skilled attorney? 

No. Unlike other tasks, practicing law is an art and a science that depends on a type of creativity and ingenuity that is still uniquely human. 

Attorneys still rule the courtroom

While attorneys can (and do) use AI as a powerful tool to assist their practice, AI is not a replacement for human experience. Here's what a human brings to the practice of law:

• Courtroom presence: AI will more than likely replace data-crunching tasks, like processing information in research and due diligence. However, when it comes to standing in court and successfully communicating to the judge and jury, a human is still better at creating emotive arguments that may sway the court.
• Creativity: Advanced AI may be able to perceive feelings expressed via text or voice, but it cannot feel emotions of its own. Especially in family law, an attorney with a heartbeat has true feelings of empathy and can relate to their client's wants, needs and fears. That's invaluable when someone is going through an emotional situation.
• Morality and ethics: AI is only as reliable as the data that it is given, and that data can be flawed in ways that influence the AI's “thinking.” When faced with moral decisions, AI often drops the ball. Morality and ethics are personal and subjective. An attorney not only has their own morality and ethics, but they also live by them. 

AI has grown exponentially, but it hasn't grown to the point where it can replace lawyers, nor is it likely to do so. 

A real-world family legal issue can lead to one of the most challenging times of your life. Experienced, compassionate guidance can help you navigate these difficult waters.