In tech we trust? some general remarks on law in the technological era from a third world perspective

Authors

  • José Everton da Silva Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI) University of Itajai Valley Escola de Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais (ECJS) School for Legal and Social Sciences http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1494-8866
  • Erick da Luz Scherf Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI) University of Itajai Valley Escola de Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais (ECJS) School for Legal and Social Sciences http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3712-5777
  • Marcos Vinicius Viana da Silva Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI) University of Itajai Valley Escola de Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais (ECJS) School for Legal and Social Sciences http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9026-9553

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12662/2447-6641oj.v17i25.p107-123.2019

Keywords:

Law, Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Third World

Abstract

A supposed “common faith” on technology as a liberational tool has entrenched different aspects of life on society, including Law. The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to free the “old” and “inefficient” legal systems from their laziness and bias. However, this instrumentalist view of technology, which embraces it as a tool for the improvement of social life, seems to be an often optimistic one, and does not provide a more critical assessment on the use of AI technology in legal practice. Therefore, among the various aspects of technological advancement that can be subject of scrutiny and critique, this article intends to explore the idea of inequality, related not only to the access to the benefits from technological inventions, but also to the (in)capacity of developing these new technologies, focusing on the development and application of emerging technologies in legal systems throughout the Third World, more specifically in the region of Latin America. In sum, our conclusions were that, due to the many barriers that the countries in the periphery of the globe face in order to achieve the “greatness” of the “developed” world, when it comes to the use of AI in legal practice, for example, what is left for the Third World is to simply assume the role of consumers instead of developers. Notwithstanding, once the marginalized countries embrace the technological gifts from the “advanced” nations and reshape their traditional institutions in order for them to fit in the mold of progress, it comes at a cost no one seems to be discussing a lot about.

Author Biographies

José Everton da Silva, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI) University of Itajai Valley Escola de Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais (ECJS) School for Legal and Social Sciences

PhD in Legal Sciences at UNIVALI (2016). M.A in Regional Development at FURB (2002). B.A in Law at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) (1992), Bachelor of Science at UFSM (1984). He is currently a professor at UNIVALI in the areas of Administrative Law and Intellectual Property. He is an advisor to UNIINOVA (UNIVALI) for Intellectual Property and he is the current Dean of the School for Legal and Social Sciences at the same university.

Erick da Luz Scherf, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI) University of Itajai Valley Escola de Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais (ECJS) School for Legal and Social Sciences

Third year undergrad student of International Relations at UNIVALI. The author is a researcher in the field of Human Rights, integrating the research group entitled "Human Rights and Citizenship", registered with CNPq and the School for Legal and Social Sciences of UNIVALI. He also holds a scholarship in the community project "Intergenerational Law and Transversality: for ethnic, gender equality and social and environmental justice"

Marcos Vinicius Viana da Silva, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI) University of Itajai Valley Escola de Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais (ECJS) School for Legal and Social Sciences

PhD Student in Legal Sciences at UNIVALI. M.A in Legal Sciences at Univali. BA in Law at UNIVALI. Professor at the School for Legal and Social Sciences of UNIVALI in the chairs of Intellectual Property Law, International Law and Constitutional Law.

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Published

2019-05-02

How to Cite

SILVA, José Everton da; SCHERF, Erick da Luz; SILVA, Marcos Vinicius Viana da. In tech we trust? some general remarks on law in the technological era from a third world perspective. Revista Opinião Jurídica (Fortaleza), Fortaleza, v. 17, n. 25, p. 107–123, 2019. DOI: 10.12662/2447-6641oj.v17i25.p107-123.2019. Disponível em: https://periodicos.unichristus.edu.br/opiniaojuridica/article/view/2297. Acesso em: 23 apr. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 25 (2019)

Section

Artigos Originais

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