Artificial Intelligence Application in Law: A Scientometric Review

Abstract

Several topics, problems, and established legal principles are already being challenged using artificial intelligence (AI) in numerous applications. The powers of AI have been snowballing to the point where it is evident that AI applications in law and various economic sectors aid in promoting a good society. However, questions such as who the prolific authors, papers, and institutions are, as well as what the specific and thematic areas of application are, remain unanswered. In the current study, 177 papers on artificial intelligence applications in law published between 1960 and April 29, 2022, were pulled from Scopus using keywords and analysed scientometrically. We identified the strongest citation bursts, the most prolific authors, countries/regions, and primary research interests, as well as their evolution trends and collaborative relationships over the past 62 years. The analysis also identified co-authorship networks, collaboration networks of countries/regions, co-occurrence networks of keywords, and timeline visualization of keywords. This study concludes that systematic study and enough attention are still lacking in artificial intelligence application in law (AIL). The methodical design of the required platforms, as well as the collecting, cleansing, and storage of data; the collaboration of many stakeholders, researchers, and nations/regions; are all problems that AIL must still overcome. Both researchers and industry professionals who are devoted to AIL will find value in the findings.