We rely on our cellphones and other electronic gadgets for everything. We rely on them to keep in touch with friends and family, to know where we are, to look up information we do not know, and more. But we should not rely on our phones and gadgets for everything.
The features on our phones and gadgets that speak back to us are known as “conversational agents,” but you know them better as Siri, Cortana, Google Now and S Voice. Conversational agents are computer programs that use artificially arranged natural language in order to reply to our instructions or questions, but these programs only simulate actual conversations between individuals. Despite this mere simulation, some people rely on their phones for legal advice.
Why relying on your smartphone for legal help is a bad idea
Relying on our phones for legal advice is not the wisest course of action. Conversational agents are not people. They are not lawyers, doctors, social workers or emergency services – they are computer programs designed to help you find a restaurant or make an appointment in your calendar. In real-world application, relying on your phone to help you could prove dangerous, and in some cases, it might cost you your freedom.
As criminal defense attorneys, few things frighten us more than clients relying on tech to help them interpret the law. There is no computer substitute for study and practice. Lawyers have endured three years of law school, have taken law bar exams, and spend days writing, reviewing, interpreting, explaining, and arguing the law, but computers have no such education or life experiences. Taking legal advice from a conversational agent in lieu of seeing an attorney could land you in jail. Further, any record of your statements to a conversational agent are not privileged like attorney communications and can be used against you in a court of law.
Conversational agents cannot replace lawyers, and treating a phone like a source of competent legal advice can lead to a world of trouble. If you are in trouble with the law, do not turn to your phone for help; it is incapable of giving legal advice. Instead, turn to the Sevierville criminal defense attorneys at the Delius & McKenzie for help. We are very familiar with the criminal justice system and process. For more information, call us at (865) 428-8780 or fill out our contact form. We proudly serve Sevierville, Seymour, Gatlinburg, and Pigeon Forge.
Attorney Bryan E. Delius was born and raised in Sevier County, TN. He founded Delius & McKenzie more than 20 years ago, after receiving his JD from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He is admitted in Tennessee and in several federal court systems. Learn more about Bryan E. Delius.
