Don’t Let Chatbots Draft Legally Binding Agreements

Math teachers are acutely aware of how math phobic the majority of the population is, and most former math students will freely admit this. Meanwhile, writing teachers lament that people who do not write professionally or as a hobby do not realize how difficult it is to write a text that communicates the ideas that you want to communicate. Whether we want to admit this or not, every text communicates not only what it directly states, but also what it implies. Lawyers have chosen their line of work because they write easily and well. People hire lawyers because their knowledge of the law and their precise wording enables them to draft effective legal documents more quickly than the rest of us can do, but even the wealthiest people admit that hiring lawyers to draft documents costs a pretty penny. Some people download sample legal documents and customize them to save money, but in today’s world that seeks instant gratification for minimal effort, people have started turning to generative artificial intelligence to draft legal documents. This is a terrible idea for the same reasons that asking AI to write anything that requires human judgment is a terrible idea. If you need a business agreement or other legally binding document, but you cannot write it by yourself, don’t trust a chatbot; instead, you should contact a Washington, D.C. small business lawyer.

When the Person Who Signed the Document Is a Sentient Being, but the Author Is Not

The civil courts operate on the assumption that individuals and businesses have the right to sign contracts in which they promise to do almost anything, as long as it does not violate state or federal laws. This includes business partnership agreements, contracts of sale, and lease agreements, to name just a few of the possible kinds of agreements you might need to sign while operating a business. The courts consider these documents legally binding. This means that either party has the right to ask the court to enforce the agreement by ordering each party to fulfill its contractual obligations or to impose the penalties for non-fulfillment of obligations indicated in the agreement.

Many contract disputes arising because of ambiguity in the wording of the contract. When clients are wise enough to consult lawyers about the contract before signing it, the lawyers point out possible interpretations of the contract other than the interpretation favored by the client; this may lead the client to propose a modification to the contract.

Chatbots only string words together at astonishing speed; they do not think about what these words mean. If you sign an AI-generated agreement, the chatbot’s words have the force of law. If a dispute arises from the contract, the judge will have the unenviable task of deciding what the chatbot meant, but the presence of your signature on the contract means that you are legally obligated to agree with the chatbot.

Contact Tobin O’Connor Concino P.C. About Drafting Thoughtfully Written Business Agreements

A Washington, D.C. business law attorney can help you understand the implications of a business agreement, instead of just spitting out words.  Contact Tobin O’Connor Concino P.C. in Washington, D.C. or call 202-362-5900.

Source:

cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/if-youre-using-chatgpt-for-these-11-things-stop-right-now/