AI has taken the modern world by storm, especially as the twenty-first century commences its second quarter. Yet, its progression has been accompanied by a million questions. Is it ethical? Will it render human progress meaningless and humanity expendable? As timely as ever, Shamov's work aptly applies his background in programming and the law to explore pertinent AI questions, particularly as they relate to the judicial system and the ultra-complex court process. Through well-researched references, personal commentary and analysis, and a meticulous unraveling of the evolution of AI—from its most primitive to its most advanced—the author infuses his work with necessary context and a deeper understanding, enabling readers to grasp the full extent of AI capabilities.

As a certified mediator, Shamov is ideally suited to apply his AI background. Ironically, a joke from his wife about receiving a manual for her husband after their wedding sheds great light on gaining a true understanding of the AI models, both as they are presently constructed and where they can go moving forward. Specifically, the author focuses on the justice system and the inevitable human factor, from intuition to emotion, that, consciously or subconsciously, influences the verdict. With pinpoint precision, the author illustrates the gargantuan time benefit for the judicial system; approximately ten million cases worth of terabyte content is fed into these programs during AI training, which would undoubtedly expedite the ever-growing backlog without compromising the core feature of attention to detail.

Peeling back the curtain, Shamov adds interesting historical context by taking readers back to the 1950s, where the earliest AI-esque models manifested as chess opponents. Three decades later, a renewed focus on neural networks and their attempts to mimic the brain planted the seeds for what AI has become today. In this work, Shamov lays out the evidence of an AI entering the judicial system and having a final say in the outcome of a human being. This idea that the fate of humanity would lie in the hands of a nonhuman being would be nothing short of avant-garde, and a clear indication of how significant a role AI has assumed in not just one's daily life, but also in the very existence of mankind.

Throughout the book, the technical explanations are explained in layman's terms, creating an ease of accessibility and understanding that demonstrates why the very word "universal" would undergo its own transformation. For instance, the method by which the author systematically breaks down how the AI model parses through terabytes of content to identify patterns, such as the juxtaposition of the words "judge" and "verdict," is explained in painstaking detail and simplicity. For those with a desire to probe even deeper into AI research in the role of legal research, Shamov cites Luminance (founded in September 2015) as an initial catalyst for deciphering and working with inordinate volumes of content.

A difficult, but undeniable question looms large in the judicial sphere: What standing does an attorney have if AI can attain an impeccable level of accuracy in considerably less time? With each passing day, AI models are becoming increasingly capable of emulating human subjectivity and operating with human values and biases, without the added x-factors such as fatigue. More than anything else, Shamov's work is a nuanced glimpse into the near future, one where the human spirit may be exhibited by non-human entities. The result of his efforts is a thought-provoking page-turner.

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