Just when you thought that blockchain had vanished from legal tech….here comes the American Arbitration Association and a new deal with Integra Ledger to provide a ‘secure, blockchain-powered document registration and authentication service’.
And of course, if you are a long-time reader of AL, then you know of Integra already, a company that has pioneered the area of blockchain use in the legal field.
But, you may then ask: ‘Why blockchain?’ The AAA explained that using the now well-known verifiable ‘truth’ aspect of blockchain means those engaged in an arbitration can ‘uphold the integrity of source documents in an era of increasing AI-driven manipulation and forgery’.
I.e. AI deep fakes are so good now that those involved in a dispute may need to get some additional bona fides for any documents they are using. Blockchain, which although is perhaps not as lauded as it once was beyond the crypto world, can help with this. Hence the deal.
The move follows a series of tech-focused steps that the AAA has taken recently, which includes developing an ‘AI arbitrator’ for construction disputes.
Bridget McCormack, president and CEO of the AAA, commented: ‘As AI becomes more advanced, it’s essential to preserve trust in the documents that support our legal and commercial systems. Our partnership with Integra Ledger gives parties a way to confirm the authenticity and integrity of their documents, today and in the future. By expanding access to this technology, we’re democratizing the tools needed to preserve the integrity of critical information in the age of AI.’
David Fisher, CEO of Integra Ledger, added: ‘Partnering with the AAA, an organization with nearly a century of leadership in dispute resolution, allows us to bring our blockchain-based document trust technology to the global community. Working with the AAA, we’re pleased to make this service available to all who can benefit from it, empowering individuals and organizations with the ability secure trust in their documents for the long term.’
In terms of how it works:
‘Using Integra Ledger’s blockchain technology, users can quickly generate tamper-proof, time- and date-stamped digital proofs while maintaining full privacy and control of the original documents.
The system is built for simplicity and security, allowing single or bulk document registration and authentication within minutes through a secure online platform, without storing any document contents.
Additional documents can be added at any time.
Users can also register documents proactively throughout a contract’s lifecycle to preserve record integrity for future disputes. As the proof is permanent and independent of any software, contracts can be shared, transferred, or saved without affecting the blockchain-based record.
To start the project, all individuals and organizations can utilize this service to register and authenticate a case or collection of up to 100 documents at no charge.’
To learn more about the service, or to access the free document authentication platform (limits apply), visit the Integra site here.
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Is this a big deal? Well, the central point about trust is one that blockchain fans have been making now for about a decade. Even so, most blockchain use cases have tended to revolve around crypto and businesses have continued to use their DMSs or other storage systems as usual.
But…perhaps with the rise of deep fakes that may change? The move to use blockchain may become more attractive as the future of document verification becomes more complex. We shall see. AL has always felt that blockchain was useful – but it needed to be applied where trust had really evaporated and/or is not present in the system, in order to really maximise the move from regular data stores to this approach. Let’s see if it catches on. Maybe this time it’s different for legal…?
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If you’d like to stay ahead of the legal AI curve then come along to Legal Innovators New York, Nov 19 + 20 and also, Legal Innovators UK – Nov 4 + 5 + 6, where the brightest minds will be sharing their insights on where we are now and where we are heading.
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