The Verge – The legal system is flawed — could AI actually make it better? [no paywall] “Bridget McCormack is used to correcting judges’ work. As the former chief justice on the Michigan Supreme Court, it was her job to review complaints about how judges at the lower courts failed to consider key evidence or rule on certain aspects of a case. In her current job, McCormack is working on a new kind of legal decision-maker. McCormack leads the American Arbitration Association, which has developed an AI Arbitrator to help parties settle document-based disputes in a low-cost way. Like a judge, it would make mistakes. But unlike many judges, it wouldn’t be burdened by more casework than it had hours in the day. It could make sure to always show its work, check that each side agreed it understood all the facts, and ensure it ruled on each issue at play. And it wouldn’t be human — it’s made of neural networks….Optimists like McCormack, meanwhile, see huge potential upsides for bringing speedier justice to the American legal system, even as they see an enduring role for human decision-makers. “Most small and medium businesses in the United States can’t afford legal help at all, and one dispute can put them under,” she says. “So imagine giving all of those businesses a way to resolve disputes and move forward with their business in a way that they could navigate, afford, and manage on their own.” She and others are balancing a difficult question: Can a new technology improve a flawed and limited justice system when it has flaws and limitations of its own?…”