Summary of week 1

Hello everyone and congratulations for completing the first week of course. So what did we learn this first week? We learned about the basics of the machine learning life cycle, and we learned how we are gathering data, and we learn how lawyers are using this kind of data. We discussed one specific case regarding the use of artificial intelligence in the judicial system. And then we really tackled this issue of transparency. And this first week if there’s one theme that I’d like you to remember is this issue of transparency. The arguably lawyers have this ethical requirement this ethical obligation to have competency in technology.

And the vast majority of artificial intelligence and algorithms in use by lawyers, and in the judicial system are not open source. So are we fulfilling our obligation to be competent if these tools are closed. Then there’s a similar idea, that is if they were open, would lawyers, judges, prosecutors be confident enough to understand what’s going on with an algorithm? And even if the lawyers or judges were using the services of an expert, let’s say a machine learning scientist, with the machine learning scientist, (Would they)know what’s going on with a particular algorithm.

Because it’s not entirely clear in the machine learning world, If one can say with certainty that one knows exactly how an artificial intelligence tool is coming up with the predictions that the tool is making. Now, if we don’t know these things and in the legal field we have pretty serious consequences,

that is, we are sometimes determining a person’s freedom. Or, if it’s in the business context, it could be a large amount of money. So it isn’t as if these artificial intelligence tools are recommending products to us that we might like to purchase, or situations that don’t have grave consequences. We go forward in this course, I’d like you to still remember this, one of my favorite quotes, that is “Technology is neither good nor bad, nor neutral.” Again congratulations, Thanks again everybody, it’s an honor to be with you in this course. And take care.