Andrew Arruda is the CEO and co-founder of ROSS Intelligence, an artificial intelligence system built on IBM’s Watson technology.
Often described as the smartest lawyer, ROSS is trained to read the law, understand legal research questions and improve its performance each time it is used. Since its launch, ROSS has been featured in major publications including TechCrunch, Wired, New Scientist, the Financial Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Guardian.
TSL spoke to Andrew about ROSS and the impact artificial intelligence could have on the legal profession.
In 2014, you co-founded ROSS Intelligence. What motivated you to pursue a career in legal artificial intelligence instead?Having completed his J D at the University of Saskatchewan, he was called to the Canadian Bar. Andrew explained that the idea came to him shortly after being called to the Bar.
A friend who had been programming since childhood told him about work being done at the University of Toronto on artificial intelligence, including IBM’s Watson. The friend asked Andrew what he thought about a system that could answer legal research questions and become smarter over time. Andrew was immediately interested. He left his job as a lawyer and began building ROSS.
Their first version focused on Canadian labour and employment law and attracted significant attention, especially in the United States. When the team saw the size of the US legal market, they realised ROSS could have a major impact.
ROSS has been referred to as the world’s first artificially intelligent lawyer. For readers who may not be familiar with it, can you explain what ROSS does?Andrew described ROSS as a system that allows lawyers to conduct research without worrying about keywords or Boolean searches. Users ask questions in natural language, just as they would ask a colleague. ROSS breaks down the question, analyses the relationships between the words and identifies the intent. It then reads through the law and surfaces the relevant passages needed to answer the question. As users interact with ROSS, they can upvote or downvote results, and the system learns from this feedback. It becomes smarter with each interaction and continues to evolve as more people use it. Andrew described it as a dynamic system that reflects the dynamic nature of the law.
Where did the idea for ROSS originally come from?Andrew explained that the initial idea came from CTO and Co-Founder Jimoh Ovbiagele.
Jimoh’s parents divorced when he was young, and he saw how expensive the legal process was. As a student at the University of Toronto, he began exploring artificial intelligence and the law. He discovered that lawyers spent around thirty per cent of their time on legal research. He wanted to make the process more efficient. The team’s goal is to equip lawyers with ROSS so they can do more with less.
Dentons was one of ROSS Intelligence’s early investors. Can you name some of the firms that have adopted ROSS?Andrew confirmed that BakerHostetler, Latham and Watkins and von Briesen and Roper have publicly announced their use of ROSS. Other firms have adopted it but prefer not to make announcements because they view it as a competitive advantage.
ROSS is currently used by bankruptcy practices. Are there plans to expand into other practice groups or countries?Andrew explained that ROSS is being tested in a variety of other practice areas in the United States. Because the US, Canada, the UK and Australia are all common law jurisdictions, expansion into those countries is a natural direction. The long-term goal is for ROSS to be used by every lawyer in the world.
How does ROSS assist consumers of legal services?Andrew stated that clients are the ultimate beneficiaries.
In the US and Canada, lawyers typically rely on only two research tools. ROSS provides a different perspective and helps lawyers prepare more thoroughly. Clients benefit from lawyers who are more efficient and more informed. This leads to better and more affordable services.
Professor Stephen Hawking warned that full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Should aspiring lawyers be worried about technology replacing them?Andrew said no. He explained that humans sit at the centre of AI systems.
ROSS enhances a lawyer’s abilities by retrieving relevant information. Lawyers still need to compare, analyse and advocate. ROSS aims to free lawyers from repetitive data retrieval tasks so they can focus on the work they are trained to do. He acknowledged that AI is powerful and should be monitored, but emphasised that misconceptions often come from science fiction. ROSS is designed to assist, not replace.
The Law Firms in Transition survey of 2015 found that technology reducing the need for paralegals and lawyers was one of the largest threats faced by firms. Have associates and partners been hesitant to use ROSS?Andrew said that ROSS has been embraced. Solo practitioners use it as a team member that helps them compete with larger firms. Medium and large firms appreciate that ROSS handles data retrieval tasks that clients no longer want to pay for. It does not reduce profits. Instead, it increases efficiency and competitiveness. In-house counsel also benefit because they can use ROSS before seeking external advice, which saves money.
ROSS is one example of artificial intelligence in the legal industry. How do you foresee AI changing the profession?Andrew hopes that systems like ROSS will continue to enhance lawyers’ abilities.
In the US, many people who need legal help cannot afford it, while many law graduates struggle to find work. AI-enabled systems could help bridge this gap by allowing graduates to serve clients who previously lacked access. He believes AI will eventually be integrated into software across all industries. It will allow systems to improve and help professionals do more. ROSS is one of the first AI-enabled tools in law, and the team is proud to contribute to improving lawyers’ quality of life.
For more information, visit IBM Watson or ROSS Intelligence.
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