Behind the efficiency metric, one must consider the hidden human costs that could result from a hasty adoption of legal AI.
While important, the Justice Ministry's research priorities do not make the roundtable on AI 'quasi-inevitable'; their influence remains conditional on protecting the most vulnerable.
Ignoring the consequences for litigants, such as the risk of shifting human legal aid to unsuitable algorithmic solutions, could actually set back access to justice.
For example, an AI system designed for speed might overlook the complexity of a family law case, leaving individuals in an even more precarious situation.
Political imperative must give way to the need to anticipate these negative externalities to prevent irreparable harm.