Can we ever trust an AI lawyer?

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Business

4.3 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This is CNBC journalist Jon Fortt. This is the last episode I’ll be guest-hosting for Nilay while he’s out on parental leave. My guest today is Richard Robinson, who is the cofounder and CEO of legal tech startup Robin AI. Richard is a corporate lawyer-turned-startup founder working on AI tools for the legal profession. But law and AI have not mixed well. So I wanted to ask Richard about hallucinations, how lawyers can use AI today, and what it will really take to place our trust in an AI lawyer. Read the full transcript on The Verge. Links: Legal tech startup Robin AI raises another $25 million | Fortune Why do lawyers keep using ChatGPT? | Verge Judge slams lawyers for ‘bogus AI-generated research’ | Verge Lawyers using AI must heed ethics rules, ABA says in first formal guidance | Reuters Lawyers fined for submitting bogus case law created by ChatGPT | AP The ChatGPT lawyer explains himself | NYT Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Ursa Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:24.8	Learn more at onepassword.com slash podcast offer.
0:29.4	That's onepassword.com slash podcast offer, all lowercase.
0:38.7	Hello, and welcome to Decoder.
0:40.8	I'm John Fort, CNBC journalist, co-host of Closing Bell Overtime, and creator of the Fort Knox
0:46.0	streaming series on LinkedIn.
0:47.8	This is the last episode I'll be guest hosting for Nilai while he's out on parental leave.
0:52.3	We have an exciting crew who will take over for me
0:54.8	after that, so stay tuned. Today I'm talking with Richard Robinson, who's the co-founder and CEO of
1:00.9	Robin AI. Richard has a fascinating resume. He was a corporate lawyer for high-profile firms in London
1:07.0	before founding Robin in 2019 to bring artificial intelligence tools to the legal profession,
1:13.0	using a mix of human lawyers and automated software expertise.
1:17.1	That means Robin predates the big generative AI boom that kicked off when ChatGPT launched
1:22.8	in 2022.
1:24.7	As you'll hear Richard say, the tools his company was building early on were based on
1:29.1	fairly traditional AI technology, what we would have just called machine learning a few years ago.
1:34.9	But as more powerful models and the chatbot explosion have transformed industries of all
1:40.0	types, Robin AI is expanding its ambitions. It's moving beyond just using AI to parse legal
1:45.7	contracts into what Richard is envisioning as an entire AI-powered legal services business.
	...

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