12 Scary Ways the Legal System is Responding to New Technology
![12 Scary Ways the Legal System is Responding to New Technology](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/9/5/5/892955_320x180.jpg)
We are living in a world that is rapidly changing, and the legal system is no exception. As technology advances, it is becoming increasingly common for the legal system to use new tools and techniques to help make decisions. From emojis to digital wills to artificial intelligence, the legal system is adapting to the digital age.
This list looks at some of the ways the legal system is changing and how it is keeping up with the times. It also looks at some of the debates that have been sparked by these changes, and how the legal system is responding. So, if you’re curious about how the legal system is adapting to the digital age, and/or if you’re dreading how the possibility of dystopian tech could encroach on what little capacity for justice is left in our legal system, this list is for you! Try to not let it get you down too much.
Robot judges: Estonia leads the way.
![CRACKED AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH AI JUDGING CASES Estonia is planning to use a form of artificial intelligence to make decisions in some small court cases. This will be the first time a country has given a robot the power to decide legal matters.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/9/1/892291.jpg)
Along with, er, Colombia?
![CRACKED ChatGPT AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH CHATGPT JUDGING CASES A judge in Colombia caused a stir by using ChatGPT to decide if an autistic child's insurance should cover all of their medical expenses. This sparked a debate about using Al in court, with some (some!) of the judge's colleagues voicing their disapproval.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/8/4/892284.jpg)
Not worth the risk, apparently.
![AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH CONVICTING BASED ON TEXTS In Queensland, if you offer or agree to give someone illegal drugs via text message, even if you don't actually hand them over, you can still get in trouble. The same goes for all other parts of Australia. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/8/3/892283.jpg)
<astonished face emoji>
![CRACKED AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH CONVICTING BASED ON... EMOJI? In Israel, a court case used an emoji-filled text message as proof that someone had agreed to rent an apartment, and they had to pay $2,200 for it even though they never moved in.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/8/6/892286.jpg)
Law getting weird, indeed.
![AW ADAPTING ITO NEW TECH RECOGNIZING EMOJI AS DEFAMATORY SPEECH In Australia, the court decided in Burrows V Houda that using a zipper- face emoji in a particular situation amounted to saying something defamatory. This was the first case of its kind in Australia and, uh, it says a lot about the law getting weird. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/9/0/892290.jpg)
Finally, we can die 21st-century style.
![AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH MAKING YOUR WILL OVER ZOOM The UK government has made it legal to make a will using video chat. This new law came into effect in September 2020 and was announced to be retroactively valid starting zoom January 31, 2020. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/9/3/892293.jpg)
Urban Dictionary: Now in court.
![CRACKED AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH RELYING ON URBAN DICTIONARY In recent years, Urban Dictionary has been used in a lot of court cases to explain slang words and phrases that regular dictionaries don't have. This is, of course, because traditional dictionaries don't usually keep up with the way people talk. UR ban DICTIONARY](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/8/9/892289.jpg)
Urban Dictionary
Government rewards criminals, kind of.
![AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH GIVING BACK SEIZED DRUG MONEY In Sweden, the government gave back over €1.3 million in Bitcoin to three drug dealers. It seized their ВТС, but valued them in Swedish Krona at that point, and Bitcoin price skyrocketed soon after - so very little of their BTC had to be sold. NEKUR B the CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/8/8/892288.jpg)
Cryptocurrency users: Brace yourselves.
![AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH FIGURING OUT WHO OWNS CRYPTO ON DEAD EXCHANGES Courts in the U.S. are now looking into who owns the crypto assets that are in accounts that have been frozen at bankrupt digital asset exchanges. This could have a big impact on how customers are protected when it comes to cryptocurrency. FT CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/8/7/892287.jpg)
English Courts: Keeping up with Crypto Fraud.
![AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH MAKING SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS SERVE CRYPTO OWNERS' INTERESTS The Court of Appeal in England ruled in 2023 that, in some situations, software developers may have a responsibility to act purely in the best interests of people who own cryptocurrency (fiduciary duty), which could set a pattern for future cases. NUMER IN MEDES 25 KUROM OUNCE B ethereum 203 FINE-STEVER ЧЕТО CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/8/5/892285.jpg)
Judges: <thinking face emoji>
![AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH HAVING TO INTERPRET EMOJI IN EVIDENCE Judges are having a hard time figuring out what emoji mean in court cases. Sometimes they don't even let the jury see the emoji, but explain what it means. They're especially common in cases about sexual harassment, crime, and work. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/9/2/892292.jpg)
AI-powered justice in Beijing.
![AW ADAPTING TO NEW TECH AUTOMATE EVERYTHING USING AI. In 2019, a court in Beijing set up an online litigation center that uses Al technology. It can record people's testimony using voice recognition, look at case materials, and check information from databases quickly. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/2/8/2/892282.jpg)