Responsible Realism About AI in Law and Dispute Resolution
Artificial intelligence is already transforming the ways lawyers, educators, students, scholars, and dispute resolution professionals work. The pace of change is accelerating.
How should we respond collectively?
How will you respond to help your students and/or clients deal with this new world?
To help figure this out, you can read a concise new article, Responsible Realism About Artificial Intelligence: How AI Is Shaping Legal and Dispute Resolution Practice, Education, and Scholarship. It distills key insights from legal scholars who bring grounded, thoughtful perspectives to this fast-moving area.
They recognize the inevitability of AI, observing that it is already has had major effects and that new tools will be adopted regardless of whether individuals and institutions are ready.
This pragmatic article highlights both the promise and the perils of AI. The scholars don’t hype AI as a magic solution, and they don’t panic about dystopian futures. Instead, they model what I call responsible realism – an approach rooted in values like judgment, competence, ethics, and inclusion.
You’ll find:
- Clear benefits identified: efficiency, access, creativity, and support for professional learning.
- Serious risks discussed: bias, deskilling, and erosion of human judgment.
- Practical strategies proposed: training, policies, pedagogy, and institutional leadership.
The article includes a summary of recommendations for practitioners, educators, and institutions navigating the AI frontier.
For a somewhat lighthearted take on these issues, see the recent New York Times article, Everyone Is Using A.I. for Everything. Is That Bad? Either Way, Let’s Not Be in Denial about It.
Take a look.
