Genie in a Chip: I Could Be a Lawyer
The genie doesn't grant wishes. It becomes them.
I could be a lawyer.
Do people pass on their law genes to their next generation? My dad had a Masters in law. One of my uncles — the brother born right after my dad — wasn't just a lawyer, but went on to become the director of the legal department for one of the largest government entities.
I guess I could argue that I ought to be considered a lawyer based on genes alone.
But I almost did become a lawyer. Several times in fact. Every time I passed the ILS Law College in Pune, I made up my mind to apply to study law. But somehow I never actually applied.
Then of course there are lawyers I have spoken to, law columns I have edited, the countless prosecutors and attorneys in K-drama that I watched closely. Did I mention that I grew up reading legal briefs and notes? And grew into negotiating contracts by the time I was in my mid-20s?
Yes, I could argue that I ought to be considered half-a-lawyer given the sheer extent of exposure to legal matters.
No?
But that's the precise argument big tech is making for AI — that exposure and pattern recognition are enough to handle everything requiring judgment over lived experience: law, programming, medicine, carpentry, music. Governments have bought it. People have bought it. AI itself hasn't, quite — ask it for expert opinion and it tells you to find an expert.
That settles it then. I am a lawyer. Today.
Tomorrow I could be a musician.
Wait. I think I am already.