The fourth industrial revolution, characterized by the advent of artificial intelligence, has undoubtedly brought a significant change in people’s perspective of technology; and despite the remaining skepticism, AIs have permeated every aspect of our society - from waitresses in restaurants to nurses in hospitals - and have just begun extending its impact on mobile apps. DoNotPay, so-called the “robot lawyer,” presents a great example of such expansion. DoNotPay is a mobile app that uses artificial intelligence as a virtual lawyer to enable the users to sue or report any legal issues with a single touch on a button, from consumer protection to immigration rights. What this robot lawyer can do is astonishingly similar - if not more - to what human lawyers do. According to Audrey Conklin, a Fox reporter, the app enables the user “sue anyone in a U.S small court case for $10,000 or less.” What’s more, this innovative app only requires a flat rate of $3 per month. There have been a number of cases where this robot lawyer has played a significant role in resolving legal disputes. For instance, Samuel Gibbs, a reporter from The Guardian, the app contested 160,000 parking tickets out of 250,000 reported cases across London and New York for free, giving it a success rate of 64%. In addition, Joshua Browder, the founder of DoNotPay, has insisted that the app is also useful in defending against robocalls, getting compensation for delayed plane flights, and canceling unwanted fees from organizations such as Sierra Club and Statefarm. Although the app brought a huge success in many aspects of our community, public criticism was unavoidable. Critics have warned of the possibility of ethical violation of the app, as it enables anyone regardless of their intention to make a lawsuit against organizations, which may create a confounding circumstance if abused. Moreover, numerous users have reported errors in the subscription plan and delayed responses for their reported cases, according to the TrustPilot website.
Despite the criticism, however, it is undeniable that DoNotPay has taken a great leap forward in utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance our quality of life. In addition, the app not only abridged the gap between the public and artificial intelligence, but also made lawsuits and laws in general more accessible for the public. Over time, the robolawyer will certainly support the public to have their own voice in the community. Sources: Chatbot lawyer overturns 160,000 parking tickets in London and New York. (2016, June 28). Retrieved August 31, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/28/chatbot-ai-lawyer-donotpay-parking-tickets-london-new-york Conklin, A. (2020, February 27). Robocallers can be sued for up to $3,000 with DoNotPay app, reverse parking tickets. Retrieved August 31, 2020, from https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/donotpay-app-robocalls-sue-anyone Save Time and Money with DoNotPay! (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2020, from https://donotpay.com/