How to harness AI for justice

[...]we discuss how to measure the success of using generative AI to bridge the justice gap. On August 14, 2023, the response was not all that instructive or optimistic. 5 First noting that AI "can help improve access to justice in many ways," the Bing AI provided generalities like "a more responsive justice system"; "augmenting and even replacing lawyers"; and "provid[ing] a more just legal outcome than a human." A truly ambitious agenda might take an even more prophylactic approach, aiding with litigation before the lawyer begins their work, before a complaint reaches the court clerk's window, or even before parties arrive at the courthouse. Common examples include unemployment benefits claimants, tenants in eviction suits, people experiencing consumer or medical debt, and family members arguing over custody or support arrangements.11 One can easily imagine the impact of generative AI most clearly not in saving lawyers more time on their case, but by providing comprehensible information to self-represented litigants that they otherwise would never receive.