Pankhuri Malik is an Osgoode LLM Graduate, IPilogue Writer and IP Innovation Clinic Fellow.

Photo by Buda Photography

On November 9, IP Osgoode, Reichman University and Microsoft hosted the first in-person Bracing for Impact Conference since 2019. The conference focused on “The Future of AI for Society.” While AI is full of exciting possibilities, real-world application and integration are relatively nascent. Implementing AI technology in society requires complex interdisciplinary engagement between engineers, social scientists, application area experts, policymakers, users, and impacted communities. At the conference, an esteemed lineup of speakers across disciplines discussed the forms that interdisciplinary collaboration could take and how AI can help shape a more just, equitable, healthy, and sustainable future.

91��ɫ and IP Osgoode have been frontrunners in conversations surrounding AI since 2016, before it was cool. The Panel 2 discussion - “AI for the Future of Legal Practice – Self-Regulation, Access to Justice and the Importance of Legal Data” - is a prime example of the forward-thinking nature of the organizations, which seek to use their diverse and interdisciplinary structure to have well-rounded conversations about incorporating AI in legal practice.

The Panel discussed:

1. AI in law school curriculums;
2. AI as an aid to Access to Justice; and
3. The interplay between AI and Data.

Chaired by Osgoode Prof. Jonathon Penney, Panel 2 featured Sari Graben (Associate Dean at Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University), Nye Thomas (Executive Director, Law Commission of Ontario), Professor D’Agostino (who needs no introduction) and Ryan Wong (Osgoode Hall Law School alum and Associate at Smart & Biggar, Toronto).

Incorporation of AI in law school curriculums

Bringing her knowledge and experience in devising law school curricula to the table, discussed the delicate balance that must be achieved between law and technology in academics. She highlighted that due to AI’s evolving nature, the rapid pace of innovation in the space, and the lack of conversation between legal and technological experts, AI is a difficult subject to teach in law schools. Sari elucidated the need for innovative and critical thinking when approaching AI’s interplay with law.

Broadly, Sari discussed that to incorporate AI into the practice of law, we must first recognize that human involvement in legal decision-making traverses just a series of rules that must be applied uniformly to a situation in an automated manner.

Sari stated that human sensibilities, the feeling of being “heard,” and the trust placed by the public in a human authority figure who makes rational decisions are irreplaceable in legal practice. Using AI to crystallize a set of rules depersonalizes the law and isolates persons from the human element of justice.

Keeping these considerations in mind, Sari discussed that these challenges might be overcome by connecting technology and law, such that technically qualified and capable people become integral for implementing AI in law and in the use of law to regulate AI. Only dedicated persons actively working towards advancing the field can build a longstanding relationship between the two.

AI as an aid to Access to Justice

discussed the incorporation of AI in mitigating Canada’s prevailing Access to Justice crisis. To mitigate the challenges of a slow, expensive, and opaque system characterized by racial bias and unequal means to access the judiciary, Nye recommended promoting conversations around trustworthy and legal AI. Nye stated that AI-related policy needs to be developed as AI must be incorporated into the due process of law to increase transparency, reduce costs and implement a more uniform justice system.

Nye proposed that a primary tool for this would be the regulation of AI. He highlighted that not all systems that fall within the definition of AI impact society. Nye recommended devising a system to identify impactful AI and developing a regulatory system to monitor and implement it to ensure equal access and transparency for the public.

AI and data protection and ownership

Osgoode’s own discussed the need for different academic fields to come together for an interdisciplinary approach to AI. Prof. D’Agostino stressed the need for the university to lead the debate and conversation around interdisciplinary AI since different departments within the university are already working on various aspects of AI related innovation.

Prof. D’Agostino discussed the need to investigate AI-related data ownership. Through the IP Innovation Clinic, IP Osgoode has undercut 2 million dollars in IP-related services. And while offering pro-bono services to start-ups and individuals looking to grow their business through IP development, Prof. D’Agostino and her team have created a bank of commonly asked questions in the field of IP and developed the AI-driven .

, an Osgoode Alum and Associate at prominent IP Boutique firm Smart & Biggar, demonstrated how the ChatBot’s bank of intent-based questions provides free and instantaneous IP innovation information without the need for human intervention.

Key takeaways

Since its inception, AI has been received with scepticism. While some warn of it replacing humans, others are optimistic about the scope of innovation AI provides. This panel expressed optimism and presented a picture of AI technology combatting prevalent issues in legal practice.

In the debate about whether technology is new to the law or just another challenge that the law must overcome, the panellists gave me the impression that technology will be the law’s best friend in the coming years.��

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have been predicting a recession akin to the Great but this pandemic has also activated successful disrupters like Amazon, Google, Siemens and Microsoft for services like B2B, cloud computing, data analytics, 3D printing and tools for remote office like work from home (WfH) easier. It may be cliché to say��“In every crisis lies the seeds of new opportunities” but it is true and rapidly unfolding now. Companies like��, which analyzes employee behaviour to help to improve human experience digitally, has ��from two financing��cycles. Companies would focus on empowering to build a strong interface for end users to ameliorate remote offices or ��WfH environments. For industries dependent upon human interface, the Internet of Things, the next generation of digital interface, ��will smartphone screens to industry screens, automobile dashboards, and even power generator control room screens.�� provides a steel clad digital ledger to record transactions, documents, signatures and attestations that cannot be with modified in retrospect. It is being increasingly used by governments, health sectors, and the food and agricultural industry, for example, and as a substitute for printed money. Use of this technology enhances ease of doing business by simplifying the vetting of documents and due diligence of parties.

On the flip side, many famous disrupters, like ��,�� are furious at the California Government for not lifting the stay-in home orders resulting in enormous losses to ��Tesla. WeWork, Airlines, Airbnb and Uber’s mobility centric businesses are suffering significantly especillay as they bring unkown persons close physically. People and businesses have to evolve quickly and adapt to co-habit in a post-pandemic world that could have autonomously driven cars, virtual reality tourism, virtual meetings and conferences, and 3D printing, among other technologies. Moreover, these technologies can be provided extensively on a large scale through licensing, commercial agreements, joint ventures, and strategic investments. By investing in right kind of start-up, monetization will help the innovation sector. The future lies in leveraging intelligent technologies by entrepreneurs in their development and business at large in adopting them.

COVID 19 has altered our world permanently. To survive and thrive, suggests, Band Aid solutions to be avoided and overhaul of strategies and expedited digitisation pursued.

Written by Aishwerya Kansal, IPilogue Contributor. Aishwerya is pursuing Masters in Law in International Business Laws at ��Osgoode Hall Law School, and she is also an IP Innovation Clinic Fellow.

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