Introduction

4.1 LegalTec has become a buzz-word for in-house lawyers and the providers of legal services. As is often the case one fashionable notion does not come alone. LegalTec as topic never comes alone. In public discourse LegalTec is related to artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and Distributed Ledger Technology (blockchain). A majority of debaters seems to assume that LegalTec will simply be a tool for more efficiently carrying out known tasks based on known processes. Thus, the debate focusses on AI aided document/information disclosure and decision making including legal research and semantic analysis of submissions. Another focus is the ethical aspect of legal decisions, which are partially or fully delegated to machines. Not much is to be heard of the question of how AI aided decision making may impact the development of the law, eg, may AI implicitly lead to a petrification of the law. Unfortunately, the discussion is not characterized by a solid understanding of how AI or machine learning work, the investment to make it work, and the capabilities of those systems.