Introduction:

In a perfect world of artificial intelligence (AI), all legal decisions could be delegated to computers, thus creating the proverbial “legal paradise” where human beings can enjoy the outcome of the legal work without needing to make any contributions themselves. While the state of computer technology does not, of course, allow comprehensive legal decision-making at present, AI experts predict that in 20 to 50 years AI systems could acquire human level cognitive abilities. This article takes these predictions as a starting point and embarks on a “what-if” thought experiment. It assumes the possibility of comprehensive legal decision-making in a perfect AI-world and discusses pros and cons of this scenario.

Digital legal decision-making is a hotly disputed topic nowadays. Many lawyers are radically opposed to it. Often this opposition is based on an aversion vis-à-vis digital innovation due to a lack of related knowledge and skills. As a result, digital legal decision-making is surrounded by myths, skepticism, suspicions, fears, and even political agendas. Often arguments are put forward without explanations or appreciation of the context leading to misunderstandings and misperceptions. It is the first main goal of this article to fill existing knowledge gaps by setting the basics straight and to establish a terminological and conceptual framework which is aimed to demystify the entire area. This will then pave the way for a focused and unbiased discussion of related legal aspects

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