As I was reading The History of the Future by Blake J. Harris, I found myself reflecting on our own journey into the world of legal tech. While Harris chronicles the rise of virtual reality - particularly how Oculus catalyzed a technological revolution - I couldn’t help but draw parallels to the evolution we’re witnessing in the legal industry.
Just as Oculus reimagined how we engage with digital worlds, numerous innovative legal tech platforms are striving to redefine how we interact with legal systems. We already know the long, often rigid, history of the legal world. Many of us still operate within that history, even though we’re aware of the limitations and pain points it imposes. And yet, change continues to be met with resistance.
When I consider the phrase "the history of the future," I imagine a world where solutions exist, but human nature slows the process of transformation. In the same way virtual reality was designed to help us transcend the constraints of our physical world and explore infinite possibilities, artificial intelligence holds the potential to reshape the legal landscape - if we’re willing to embrace it.
As Clifford A. Pickover notes in Artificial Intelligence: An Illustrated History, “The challenge is that many of these machines can create far more intricate models of reality than humans could possibly understand.” This begs the question: Is our resistance rooted in unreadiness, or perhaps in a deeper fear of the unknown?
Pickover goes on to say, “The mystery of consciousness, the limits of artificial intelligence, and the nature of the mind will be studied for years to come, and have intrigued people since ancient times. The truth is that the future of AI will be among humanity's greatest achievements.”
So how many of us truly appreciate the advancements AI has already brought forth? And what will it take for us - as individuals, professionals, and an industry - to step into this future not with hesitation, but with conviction?