Joshua Browder, DoNotPay’s CEO and Founder, came across an unexpected turn of events that led him to postpone his plans of bringing history’s first AI lawyer into a municipal court. The decision comes after the company received threats from the State Bar prosecutors who warned that he’d face dire consequences upon proceeding with the experiment.
Although one of the most-awaited events in law history had to be scrapped for now, Browder and his company are hell-bent on continuing what they’ve started.
The Consequence of Bringing an AI to Court
The AI lawyer has caused quite a stir in the legal community, and the tremendous interest around it reached a boiling point, with human lawyers issuing a stark warning to Browder. He could receive up to six months of jail time if he persists in using the robot lawyer in a physical court.
Browder announced bringing his technology to a courtroom on January 21st, claiming it’ll defend a speeding case scheduled next month. He even added that the company would take a big leap; he’ll give any person or lawyer a $1,000,000 worth of reward in exchange for arguing a case in the United States Supreme Court with the help of the automated lawyer’s assistance.
According to Browder, the setup will include the defendant wearing Airpods; he’ll repeat what the AI lawyer will say exactly through the device, no more and no less. His plans quickly caught the attention of Twitter users, arguing that courtrooms prohibit electronic devices.
But he was too determined, and five days after his announcement, the State Bar prosecutors reached out to him. Now, he settles the threat by taking a step back, postponing the big event.
While the initial goal of creating an AI lawyer was to push boundaries and help clients fight for their rights, Browder and his company have shifted their focus to more simple yet significant ways of assisting clients. They are determined to continue their work, redirecting their attention to more practical and achievable goals.
A Shift of Focus
The AI lawyer won’t be available in physical courtrooms as opposed to the initial plan, but everyone is a click away from accessing it. DoNotPay will focus on handling cases that are simpler and can be dealt with online, such as reducing medical costs, discontinuing subscriptions, correcting false credit reports, and more.
Furthermore, Browder also announced the launching of its GPT product called Do Not Sign / chatT&C. This technology is a ChatGPT extension that reviews companies’ terms and conditions, providing information on every clause violating consumer rights.
Its inspiration came from Patrick Hsu, a genome engineer, who tweeted about the possibility of having a ChatGPT browser extension specializing in the said feature. Without hesitation, DoNotPay immediately turned this idea into a product.
Not only that, but Browder will talk about GPT consumer rights products in two weeks. The only hint he gave was about his realization of non-consumer rights legal products (e.g., cease and desist letters, marital settlement agreements, etc.) being a distraction.
Additionally, DoNotPay has reported experience dealing with more than two million cases with 300,000 subscription cancellations. One of its victorious battles included the bot creating a letter to a particular company, refunding $14,000 worth of contract. This example is only proof of the many cases in which the company’s strength lies in fighting for consumer rights.
Browder states that DoNotPay has huge help for consumers everywhere (considering the exorbitant costs of human attorneys), and it’ll continue pushing the boundaries of law with AI. Despite facing some setbacks, the company remains undeterred in its mission to empower people to assert their rights and seek fair treatment from businesses.
With this advanced technology, DoNotPay can streamline the process of navigating legal issues and provide assistance to those who may not have the resources or knowledge to fight in the traditional way. From subscription cancellations to refund disputes, DoNotPay can be a powerful tool helping to level the playing field for consumers.
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