How does Reading Improve Evolution? A.I. Is "Naive" (see below) - But What does A.I. have to say about it anyway?

Here’s what Gemini and ChatGPT had to say about how unimpressive our species is (not hopeful about our prospects as a genius species, to say the least):

Modern human evolution is actively accelerating, driven by massive shifts in global urbanization, modern medicine, and dietary changes. Scientists have disproven the old myth that humans stopped evolving; instead, our biology is adapting to the modern world at a rapid pace.

Top 10 Indicia of Current Human Evolution

The following ten physical and genetic traits represent the clearest markers of ongoing natural selection and biological changes in humans worldwide right now:

• Lactase Persistence: The genetic mutation allowing adults to digest milk has spread rapidly over the last 10,000 years, transforming from a rare anomaly into a dominant trait across Europe, East Africa, and South Asia as dairy farming expanded.

• Median Artery Retention: An increasing number of people are keeping a temporary embryonic blood vessel in their forearm throughout adulthood. This anatomical shift improves blood flow to the hand but can increase the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Shrinking Jaws and Missing Wisdom Teeth: Our jaws are steadily getting smaller due to a global reliance on soft, cooked, and processed foods. Consequently, an increasing percentage of the global population is born without third molars (wisdom teeth).

• Decreasing Bone Density: Human skeletons have become significantly lighter and more fragile over the last several millennia. This trend is directly linked to sedentary agricultural lifestyles and desk-based modern environments.

• High-Altitude Adaptations: Populations living in extreme environments, like Tibetans on the Himalayan plateau, have rapidly evolved unique genetic traits that alter red blood cell production, allowing them to thrive in low-oxygen environments.

• Malaria and Disease Resistance: Rapid evolutionary sweeps continue to spread gene variants—such as the sickle-cell trait in Africa and the Mediterranean—that protect against deadly infectious diseases like malaria.

• Arsenic Tolerance: Indigenous communities in the Argentinean and Bolivian Altiplano have developed a targeted genetic mutation to metabolize arsenic, a defense mechanism triggered by high levels of the toxin in local drinking water.

• Blue Eyes and Light Skin Pigmentation: The mutation causing blue eyes only emerged between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago. Similarly, genetic sweeps for lighter skin evolved quite recently in northern latitudes to maximize vitamin D synthesis from limited sunlight.

• Decreased Brain Size: Over the last 10,000 to 20,000 years, the average human brain size has actually shrunk by roughly 10% to 15% (about 150 cubic centimeters). Scientists attribute this to efficiency improvements and a reliance on collective social knowledge.

• Delayed Childbearing Genetics: In highly developed nations, genetic variants linked to later onset of menopause and delayed age at first childbirth are rising in frequency, shifting human reproductive biology to align with modern economic structures. [1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

  
  

How Evolution Occurs Today

Evolution occurs through changes in allele frequencies (the prevalence of specific genetic variants) across a population over time. Traditionally, this was dictated solely by natural selection—individuals with traits best suited to survival and reproduction passed those genes on.

Today, human evolution is dictated by gene flow and cultural evolution. Massive global migration into urban centers is blending previously isolated gene pools, leading to a "grand averaging" of the human species where distinct regional traits are merging. Concurrently, technology and medicine have relaxed traditional survival pressures; a person born with a genetic vulnerability that would have been fatal centuries ago can now thrive and pass on their genes with medical assistance.

Projections for Future Human Evolution

Anthropologists and evolutionary biologists project distinct long-term trends for our species over the next several thousand years, which run counter to popular science fiction tropes:

        PAST                               PRESENT                               FUTURE

[ Large, Heavy Skeletons ]  ==>  [ Sedentary Lifestyle ]     ==>  [ Shorter, Lighter Bones ]

[ Raw, Fibrous Diets ]      ==>  [ Cooked/Processed Food ]   ==>  [ Smaller Jaws & No Wisdom Teeth ]

[ High Youth Mortality ]    ==>  [ Advanced Medicine ]       ==>  [ Longer Lifespans / Delayed Reproduction ]

[ Brain Size Peak (1500cc)] ==>  [ Offloaded Technology ]    ==>  [ Smaller, Hyper-Efficient Brains ]

1. The Myth vs. Reality of "Increasing Intelligence"

Pop culture often depicts future humans with massive heads and hyper-inflated intellects, but biological data suggests the opposite. Because humans offload memory, calculations, and critical thinking to external technology (smartphones, computers, and AI), the physical selection pressure for a larger brain has largely ceased. [21, 22, 23, 24]

If intelligence increases in the future, it will likely not happen through organic biological evolution. Instead, it will happen through technological symbiosis—the integration of cybernetic enhancements, neural interfaces, and direct brain-computer integration.

2. Physical and Cosmetic Shifts

• Darker, More Uniform Skin Tones: Because populations in regions with darker skin pigments are expanding rapidly, and global migration is breaking down geographic isolation, the average human several centuries from now will likely have a more uniform, darker complexion.

• Loss of Muscle Mass: As automation and robotics handle the vast majority of physical labor, selection pressures favoring muscular strength will continue to drop, resulting in a leaner, less robust human physique.

• Extended Lifespans: With child mortality at historic lows globally, biological advantages now lean toward individuals who maintain cellular health into old age. Genetic adaptations extending our metabolic lifespan and reproductive years will likely expand.

• Direct Genetic Engineering: The wild card of future evolution is intentional gene editing (such as CRISPR technologies). Within a few generations, human evolution may shift from a passive, slow response to environmental pressures into an active design choice, where traits like disease resistance or space-travel adaptations are deliberately coded into future generations. [9, 13, 23, 26, 28]

  
  

If you are interested, we can look closer at how genetic engineering might reshape human biology or dive deeper into the specific genomic studies tracking how modern urban living alters human DNA. Which direction would you like to explore?

The Evolution of Legal Competence

TO: Counsel FROM: Senior Legal Amanuensis DATE: May 20, 2026 SUBJECT: Evolutionary Tendencies in Canadian Jurisprudence regarding A.I. and Competence

1. The Concept of Evolution in Law

The Canadian courts no longer view "evolution" as an adventitious or accidental process. As highlighted in Amy Salyzyn on Legal Ethics (2022), the evolution of the legal profession is now predicated on a move toward "Technological Competence." This is not a caprice of the courts; it is a peremptory shift. Lawyers are now expected to be "Automated and Aware," moving from a state of digital neophyte to a practitioner who uses AI to augment their vocation.

2. The Duty to Verify (Anti-Hallucination)

The most premonitory case in your search, Ko v. Li, 2025 ONSC 2965, serves as a cause célèbre for the risks of unverified AI use. In this instance, a lawyer was nearly pilloried by the court for citing "hallucinated" (fake) cases.

• The Law's Expectation: The law demands an unstinting commitment to accuracy.

• The "Verification-Value Paradox": As noted by J. Yuvaraj, we face a paradox where the time saved by AI is often slaked by the heavy manual labor required to winnow the truth from AI-generated dreck.

  
  

3. Physical Evolution and Risk Assessment

In the realm of Family and Child Protection law (e.g., Family and Children’s Services v. TB and WH, 2013), "evolution" takes on a biological definition. The court scrutinizes the physical development and IQ (Intelligence Quotient) of both parents and children to determine if a minor is at risk. Here, the law is less concerned with mellifluous arguments and more with the intractability of developmental delays and the privations suffered by children in fetid or unsafe environments.

4. What Lawyers Should Invest Their Time In

To avoid a moribund practice, the search results suggest lawyers must avoid dilatory tactics regarding technology. Instead, they should:

• Adopt the 6As Taxonomy: Become Automated, Aware, and Attentive.

• Expiate Past Ignorance: Invest in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) specifically focused on the diegesis of AI ethics.

• Practice Human Oversight: Ensure a "Human in the Loop" to prevent the calumny of submitting false authorities to the Bench.

Summary Observation: Whether discussing the biological development of a child or the technological development of a firm, the law’s equanimity is maintained only when "competence" is proven. To arrogate the benefits of AI without accepting the burden of verification is a discreditable path that invites judicial remonstrance.

Human intelligence is categorized through two primary lens: psychometrics (how we scientifically measure cognitive ability) and alternative modalities (how we express diverse talents). Scientifically, reading is proven to be one of the most effective tools to directly alter brain structure and increase baseline intelligence.

How to Evolve Your Intelligence, and Species: READ

(by Gemini, more auspiciously and less suspiciously)

Part 1: The Tiers, Categories, and Types of Intelligence

The Scientific Framework: Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Theory

The CHC theory is the most widely accepted scientific model of intelligence. It organizes human cognition into a hierarchy of three distinct tiers (strata):

• Tier 3: General Intelligence ($g$-factor): The overarching mental energy that influences all cognitive tasks.

• Tier 2: Broad Abilities: Roughly 10 to 18 comprehensive cognitive categories. The most vital include:

  • Fluid Reasoning ($Gf$): The ability to think logically and solve completely novel, unfamiliar problems without prior training.

  • Crystallized Intelligence ($Gc$): The depth of accumulated knowledge, vocabulary, and cultural information acquired over a lifetime.

  • Short-Term/Working Memory ($Gsm$): The capacity to hold and manipulate information in immediate awareness.

  • Visual and Auditory Processing ($Gv$/$Ga$): The ability to analyze, synthesize, and manipulate visual images or acoustic patterns.

  • Processing Speed ($Gs$): The velocity at which the brain automatically executes repetitive, simple cognitive tasks.

• Tier 1: Narrow Abilities: Over 70 highly specific, granular skills found underneath the broad categories (e.g., sound localization under Auditory Processing, or foreign language proficiency under Crystallized Intelligence). [3, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]

  
  

The Modality Framework: Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Developed by Howard Gardner, this popular alternative framework argues that intelligence is not a single entity ($g$) but is instead divided into nine distinct modalities:

  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐

  │              GARDNER'S MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES               │

  ├──────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┤

  │ 1. Linguistic (Language)    │ 6. Interpersonal (Social)    │

  │ 2. Logical-Mathematical      │ 7. Intrapersonal (Self)      │

  │ 3. Spatial (3D/Navigation)   │ 8. Naturalistic (Nature)     │

  │ 4. Bodily-Kinesthetic (Body) │ 9. Existential (Philosophical)│

  │ 5. Musical (Rhythm/Pitch)    │                              │

  └──────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘

Part 2: How Much Does Reading Influence Intelligence?

Reading is not just a passive activity; it is a full cognitive workout that actively reshapes your intelligence. Scientific studies show its impact is profound across several domains:

1. It Systematically Builds Crystallized Intelligence

Reading acts as a vocabulary rocket booster. Because written text uses far more complex, rare words than spoken conversation or television, avid readers consistently score higher on verbal IQ tests. This phenomenon is called the "Matthew Effect" in literacy: early reading success creates a compounding loop that makes a person progressively smarter over time.

2. It Surprisingly Boosts Fluid Intelligence

While reading directly builds knowledge, landmark research on identical twins from the University of Edinburgh discovered that early reading habits also improve non-verbal, fluid reasoning skills. Training the brain to track complex narratives, hold abstract concepts in check, and project outcomes physically sharpens your raw, universal problem-solving capacity.

3. It Physically Alters Brain Structure [34]

Neuroscientists at Stanford University and Harvard Medical School mapped out the physical effects of reading on the brain. They found that reading: [4]

• Widens and smoothes the white-matter pathways (specifically the arcuate nucleus), allowing information to travel through the brain faster.

• Significantly enhances connectivity in the left temporal cortex, the hub responsible for language and sensory reception. [4, 35]

  
  

4. It Enhances "Theory of Mind" (Social Intelligence)

Studies published in the journal Science show that reading literary fiction improves a specific subtype of social cognitive intelligence called Theory of Mind. This is the mental capacity to calculate, understand, and predict the complex internal motivations and emotions of other humans.

5. It Defends Against Cognitive Decline

A lifespan study tracked by the American Academy of Neurology proved that engaging in mentally stimulating activities like reading acts as a cognitive shield. Lifelong readers experience a significantly slower rate of memory and mental decline in their elder years compared to non-readers.

Are you interested in testing or optimizing a specific category of intelligence mentioned here, or would you like to explore reading techniques designed to maximize cognitive retention?

SOURCES

Here is what CanLii provided:

I used one combined query with two concept clusters (joined by OR) to cover both parts of your question (1) “physical evolution/development” + “at risk” + IQ which surfaces decisions (often in child protection/family contexts) discussing physical development and IQ in risk assessments; and (2) “technological competence” + lawyer + AI + verify/verification which pulls Canadian materials and key precedents on lawyers’ duties to verify AI-generated work (including recent cases addressing AI “hallucinations”). I left document type and jurisdiction open to capture cases legislation and commentary nationwide.

Query: (("physical evolution" OR "physical development") ("at risk") (IQ OR "intelligence quotient")) OR (("technological competence" OR "technology competence") lawyer* ("artificial intelligence" OR AI) (verify OR verification))

1.

Amy Salyzyn on Legal Ethics, 2019 CanLIIDocs 2750 (updated in 2022)

Amy Salyzyn – Slaw.ca

249 pages

lawyers — societies — legal — apps — firms

Access to information and privacy Professions and occupations Technology

[…]   [U]rge[d] courts and lawyers to address the emerging ethical and legal issues related to the usage of artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the practice of law including: (1) bias, explainability, and transparency of automated decisions made by AI; (2) ethical and beneficial usage of AI; and (3) controls and oversight of AI and   […]   think of lawyer technological competence through a “6As” taxonomy – modern lawyers need be Automated, Aware (of technological risks), operate as Avatars (i.e. competently deliver services digitally), use AI to Augment their legal practices, be Acquainted with emerging AI technologies and be Attentive to how AI in being   […]

2.

Canadian Law Library Review, 2024 CanLIIDocs 2263

Kate McCandless, Erin Clupp, Jackie Fishleigh et al – Canadian Law Library Review

87 pages

library — generative — pedagogy — students — pandemic

Labour and employment Legal theory

[…]   5 Law Society of Manitoba, “Generative Artificial Intelligence: Guidelines for Use in the Practice of Law” (April 2024), online (PDF): <educationcentre. lawsociety.mb.ca>; Law Society of Alberta, “The Generative AI Playbook: How Lawyers Can Safely Take Advantage of the Opportunities Offered by Generative AI” (2024),   […]   (25 April 2024) at tab 8.1 (White Paper on Generative AI), online (pdf): <lso.ca/ lawyers/technology-resource-centre>. 8 Ibid at tab 8.2 (Best Practice Tips). 9 Lina Markauskaite et al, “Rethinking the Entwinement Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Learning: What Capabilities Do Learners Need for a World With AI?   […]

3.

Jason Morris on Legal Technology, 2020 CanLIIDocs 3648

Jason Morris – Slaw.ca

38 pages

technology — legal — programming languages — data — software

Technology

[…]   [4B] The required level of technological competence will depend on whether the use of understanding of technology is necessary to the nature and area of the lawyer’s practice and responsibilities and whether the relevant technology is reasonably available to the lawyer.   […]   Among attendees there was a considerable contingent of practicing lawyers, and software companies that sell AI services to practicing lawyers.   […]

4.

Legal Research Online: Information Seeking in the Digital Environment, 2024 CanLIIDocs 2507

Christa Bracci, Erica Friesen – eCampus Ontario

189 pages

legal research — non-traditional secondary sources — information — citator — online environment

Legal theory Technology

[…]   We augment this discussion with what we believe is essential contextual understanding in the areas of database and information literacy, including responsibilities around technological competence, basic artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, and ethical considerations in online information seeking.   […]   to trust the results of an AI-generated tool because of automation bias: the human tendency to favour decisions made by automated systems instead of making the effort to verify or seek out information themselves. 20 One good analogy for the use of AI in legal practice is the relationship between a junior and senior lawyer.   […]

5.

Ko v. Li, 2025 ONSC 2965 (CanLII)

Superior Court of Justice

2025-05-20  |  14 pages  |  cited by 16 documents

AI-generated

A lawyer avoided contempt proceedings after citing fake AI-generated cases by admitting fault, apologizing, and committing to remedial measures, including ethics training and improved verification protocols. The Court deemed the matter resolved, emphasizing the importance of accurate legal submissions and the risks of unverified AI use in legal practice.

Criminal or statutory infractions Practice and procedure

Professional responsibility — Contempt of court — Lawyer's duties — Submission of factum containing fake case citations generated by artificial intelligence — Lawyer's responsibility to verify legal authorities before filing — Should a lawyer be held in contempt for relying on AI-generated "hallucinations"? — Contempt of court principles from R. v. Cohn — Lawyer's forthright acknowledgment and corrective actions deemed sufficient to purge contemptProfessional responsibility — Use of artificial intelligence in legal practice — Lawyer's professional obligations — Risks of AI hallucinations in legal submissions — Duty to ensure accuracy of legal authorities — Lawyer's undertaking to complete Continuing Professional Development training on AI and legal ethics — Framework for addressing professional misconduct involving AI toolsCivil procedure — Rules of Civil Procedure — Rule 4.06.1 (2.1) — Certification of authenticity of cited authorities in factums — Lawyer's failure to comply with mandatory certification rule — Does non-compliance with Rule 4.06.1 (2.1) constitute misconduct? — Rule enacted to address risks of AI hallucinations in legal submissionsProfessional responsibility — Costs — Lawyer's billing practices — Prohibition on billing client for deficient factum containing fake case citations — Application of Rule 57.07 of the Rules of Civil Procedure — Lawyer's agreement not to charge client for work associated with deficient factum — Court's discretion to impose cost-related remedies for professional misconduct

Show more 

[…]   The need for lawyers to include a certificate in their factums declaring that the cases cited as precedents in the factum are real was hoped to bring home to all lawyers the need to check and not to trust factums generated by AI or by others.   […]  [73] There had to be someone who was going to be the first lawyer to file AI hallucinations here. It was likely to be someone so junior as to over-estimate the infallibility of AI, or someone so senior as to not really yet understand its fallibility.   […]  

6.

Judging by the Numbers: Judicial Analytics, the Justice System and its Stakeholders, 2021 CanLIIDocs 1677

Jena McGill, Amy Salyzyn – Dalhousie Law Journal

63 pages

mainstreamed judicial analytics tools — data — judicial decision-making — public — judicial analytics tool

Evidence and procedure

[…]   For example, the American judicial analytics company, Gavelytics, supra note 19, promises that its AI-generated reports on individual judges, which include information on a judge’s background, typical workload, and whether a judge rules more often for plaintiffs or defendants (called a “Gavelscore”), will help lawyers “win   […]   writes: “Many lawyers are just learning about [new artificial intelligence tools available to lawyers, including judicial analytics tools] for the first time, but if they are not yet the state of the art in legal-service delivery, it is clear that they soon will be the ‘standard of competent practitioners.’” 113.   […]

7.

Generative AI and Access to Justice in Canada: The Case of Self-Represented Litigants [SRLs], 2024 CanLIIDocs 3110

Fife Ogunde – Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice

39 pages

legal — access to justice — research — technology — models

Technology

[…]   Law Droid released a new generative AI tool, Lawdroid Co-pilot, designed to assist lawyers in performing various tasks including legal research, provision of simple summaries and drafting of legal correspondence. 48 In February 2023, Harvey AI, an Open-AI backed artificial intelligence startup, partnered with Allen &   […]   For example, one proposed solution is not necessarily deploying generative AI like ChatGPT directly, but by using their underlying technology in a customized LLM. 111 A closely related proposal is the development generative AI in a manner that recognizes the general demographic of SRLs, using generative AI chatbots in   […]

8.

eAccess to Justice, 2016 CanLIIDocs 415

Karim Benyekhlef, Jane Bailey, Jacquelyn Burkell et al – University of Ottawa Press

519 pages

technology — system — justice

Evidence and procedure Rights and freedoms Technology

[…]   The third part argues that lawyer regulators need to act more aggressively to monitor and ensure lawyer courtroom-technology competence given the absence of evidence that lawyers possess adequate competence in this area (see Why Lawyer Regulators Should Care about Courtroom-Technology Competence, see page 222).   […]   Century Lawyer’s Evolving Ethical Duty of Competence,” The Professional Lawyer 22:4 (2014) at 24; Sam Glover, “You Already Have an Ethical Obligation to be Technologically Competent,” Lawyerist.com (31 August 2015), online: <https://lawyerist. com/86726/already-ethical-obligation-technologically-competent/>; Karen   […]

9.

Justice Trends 2: Automated Justice. Get the gist of the future for technology in justice, 2018 CanLIIDocs 11077

Department of Justice Canada – Department of Justice Canada

31 pages

technology — algorithms — automation — digital — artificial intelligence

Technology

[…]   Courts ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Lawyers’ Use ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Smart   […]   AI has the potential to improve aspects of the criminal justice system, including crime reporting, policing, bail, sentencing, and parole decisions...while also taking care to minimize the possibility that AI might introduce bias or inaccuracies due to deficiencies in the available data. a. Federal agencies that use AI   […]

10.

National Indigenous Fisheries Institute v. Canada (Fisheries and Oceans), 2026 FC 382 (CanLII)

Federal Court

2026-03-20  |  36 pages  |  cited by 1 document

AI-generated

Indigenous peoples Judicial review Practice and procedure

Injunctions

Trade unions

Construction of statutes — Official Languages Act, s. 20(1)b)

Practice — Variation of time

[…]   include the Declaration in the first paragraph of the Affidavit or the Motion record stating that AI was used in preparing the document required by the Court’s practice direction entitled The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Court Proceedings dated May 7, 2024 which requires a litigant using AI to include a Declaration”.   […]   [22] Counsel may not mis-state or misrepresent the law to the court whether by way of AI hallucinations or by any other means. [Emphasis added] [60] It is worth noting that in Ko, the offending lawyer 1) delivered letters of apologies, 2) admitted her wrongdoing, 3) recognised that it was a serious lapse in judgement, 4)   […]

11.

The Use of AI in Canadian Courts, 2025 CanLIIDocs 2992

Shaughnessy Dow – Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies

57 pages

human — algorithms — data — sentencing — legal

Evidence and procedure Technology

[…]   for the use of AI.47 While other courts such as the Manitoba King’s Bench and the Supreme Court of Yukon have released practice directions relating to the use of AI, these consist of only brief statements indicating lawyers must flag if they have used AI to assist drafting their submissions.48 The Federal Court interim   […]   Indeed, AI could outperform human actors in some legal tasks. As Alschner describes, AI has the ability to render legal analysis scalable, sifting through many times more documents, such as legal precedents, in seconds, while it would take than a lawyer could months process in months.54 David Masuhara notes that, based on   […]

12.

Technology, the Changing Nature of Disputes, and the Future of Equitable Principles in Canadian Contract Law, 2019 CanLIIDocs 4693

Conrad Flaczyk – Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

96 pages

blockchain — technologies — smart contracts — equitable principles — electronic

Contracts Technology

[…]   Real Lawyers”]. See also Edwina L. Rissland, ‘‘Artificial Intelligence andLaw: Stepping Stones to a Model of Legal Reasoning” (1990) 99 Yale L.J. 1957 at 1959 (‘‘Any discussion ofAImust note that tasks involving ‘common sense’ reasoning or perception, such as language understanding, are by far the most difficult for AI.   […]   disruption and ‘‘the transformative impacts of AI on legal practice will continue to accelerate going forward.” 218 One survey recently found 36% of U.S. law firms with 50 or more lawyers and 90% of U.S. law firms with 1000 or more lawyers are ‘‘either currently using or actively explore use of AI systems.” 219   […]

13.

Artificial Intelligence & Criminal Justice: Cases and Commentary, 2024 CanLIIDocs 3035

Benjamin Perrin – Canadian Legal Information Institute

1,095 pages

Artificial intelligence — Vehicles — judiciary — evidence — algorithms

Criminal or statutory infractions Technology

[…]   5.1.6 Canadian Bar Association, Ethics of Artificial Intelligence for the Legal Practitioner (2025) 381 5.1.7 Law Society of BC, “Guidance on Professional Responsibility and Generative AI” (2023) 395 5.1.8 J. Yuvaraj, “The Verification-Value Paradox: A Normative Critique Of Gen Ai Use In Legal Practice”, The University of   […]   verification-value paradox. This paradox suggests the gains AI is purported to bring to the profession are often overstated, because of the emphasis placed on lawyers to verify the accuracy of all content generated by AI. In a text-dominated profession, the greater the AI use, the greater the cost of manual verification.   […]

14.

Journal of Paralegal Access to Justice, 2024 CanLIIDocs 3483

Isabella Longo, Joanna Cunha Martins, Vitaliy Ostapov et al – Journal of Paralegal Access to Justice

204 pages

individuals with disabilities — mediation — barriers — technology — self-represented litigants

Constitution Intellectual property Rights and freedoms

[…]   Parsons, Paige, “Alberta Courts Issue Warning About the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Courtrooms,” CBC News (12 October 2023), online: <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta ​-courts ​-warn ​ -lawyers ​-about ​-ai-use-in-courtroom-1.6994204>.   […]   surrounding the use of AI. They can then click on the “Create Account” button. Once the account is created, the user will use their email address and the password that was created during the sign-up process and will be asked to verify their email address by clicking on a verification email link sent to their inbox.   […]

15.

Consensus ad artificialis: Contract Theory Meets the GenAI Mind, 2026 CanLIIDocs 883

Katie Szilagyi, Marina Pavlovic – Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

102 pages

massively distributed boilerplate — self-represented litigants — legal — contract takers — automation

Contracts Intellectual property Technology

[…]   See e.g., Bob Ambrogi, ‘‘Can AI Bridge the Justice Gap? Legal Aid Lawyer and Innovator Sateesh Nori Thinks So” (21 January 2025), online: <https://www.lawnext.com/2025/01/can-ai-bridge-the-jus-tice-gap-legal-aid-lawyer-and-innovator-sateesh-nori-thinks-so.html> [perma.cc/ 8HLV-Q44G]; Fife Ogunde, ‘‘Generative AI and   […]   Says” Bloomberg Law News (10 June 2024) online: <https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ artificial-intelligence/gen-ai-cut-lawyers-drafting-time-in-half-uks-ashurst-says> [per-   […]

16.

Canadian Law Library Review, 2020 CanLIIDocs 3238

James Zhan, Leanne Soares, John F Bolan et al – Canadian Law Library Review

124 pages

artificial intelligence — librarians — students — equal justice

Commerce and industry Indigenous peoples Technology

[…]   Christian Gideon, “Predictive Coding: Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Work in Litigation” (8 January 2020) online: Canadian eDiscovery Law Blog <www. ediscoverylaw.ca/predictive-coding-artificial-intelligence-ai-at-work-in-litigation/>.   […]   of artificial intelligence in law libraries for Canadian law librarians. Limitations of AI in Law Libraries Before considering the implications that artificial intelligence may have on law librarians, one must look at the limitations of the products and the problems that arise when incorporating artificial intelligence   […]

17.

Law and Technology in Legal Education: A Systemic Approach at Ryerson, 2021 CanLIIDocs 14011

Sari Graben – Osgoode Hall Law Journal

37 pages

technology — students — design — practice — innovation

Legal theory Technology

[…]   Disruption: How Machine Intelligence will Transform the Role of Lawyers in the Delivery of Services” (2014) 82 Fordham L Rev 3041; Richard Susskind, Tomorrow’s Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future (Oxford University Press, 2013) [Susskin, Tomorrow’s Lawyers]; Raymond H Brescia et al, “Embracing Disruption: How   […]   than white prisoners. 24 Moreover, similar technologies are being used by non-lawyers to predict hot spots for increased surveillance and to promote intensive police presence. 25 Solon Barocas and Andrew Selbst explain how AI technologies like these allow powerful actors to make algorithmic decisions that have a   […]

18.

Family and Children’s Services Of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington v TB and WH, 2013 ONSC 467 (CanLII)

Superior Court of Justice

2013-01-18  |  22 pages

AI-generated

Child protection Family Practice and procedure

Evidence — Publication bans — Summons — Prohibition of publication

[…]   Society concerns with the family unit centre predominantly on J.’s lack of physical development while he has been in the care of his parents. The child’s physical growth deteriorated significantly under the care of his parents and that other developmental concerns are now coming to light.   […]   Dr. Rowe concluded that these findings placed the child at risk.[12] [31] Dr. Rowe further concludes that given the child is at risk for a maladaptive development, both parents should be expected to demonstrate additional and more advanced parenting skills than would normally be expected in order to properly care for the   […]

19.

Canadian Law Library Review, 2018 CanLIIDocs 234

Hannah Steeves, Paul R Sawa, Sara Klein et al – Canadian Law Library Review

107 pages

self-represented litigants — tweets — legal professionals

Administrative remedies Contracts Professions and occupations

[…]   19 Ibid at 72–79. 20 Carol Kuhlthau & SL Tama, “Information Search Process of Lawyers: A Call for ‘Just for Me’ Information Services” (2001) 57:1 J Documentation 25 at 26. 21 Leckie, Pettigrew & Sylvain, supra note 7 at 173. 22 Wilkinson, supra note 12 at 261. 23 Margaret Banks, Banks on Using a Law Library: A   […]   It summarized emerging technologies, the impact that artificial intelligence may have upon librarians and lawyers in the future, and how   […]

20.

M. D. M. S. (Re), 2017 SKPC 6 (CanLII)

Provincial Court of Saskatchewan

2017-01-12  |  45 pages

AI-generated

The Court permanently committed two children to the Ministry's care, finding the parents unable to meet minimal parenting standards due to health, parenting capacity, and home environment concerns. The decision emphasized the children's best interests, including continuity of care and attachment to their foster parents.

Child protection Family

Child protection — Children in need of protection — Parenting capacity — Ministry of Social Services applied for permanent committal of children to its care — Parents opposed application and sought return of children — Are the children in need of protection under section 11 of The Child and Family Services Act? — Court found children in need of protection due to parents’ inability to meet minimal parenting standards — The Child and Family Services Act, S.S. 1989-90, c. C-7.2, s. 11Child protection — Orders for care — Permanent committal — Ministry sought permanent committal of children to facilitate adoption — Parents argued for temporary orders or return of children — What is the appropriate order under section 37 of The Child and Family Services Act? — Court ordered permanent committal to Ministry, prioritizing children’s best interests and continuity of care — The Child and Family Services Act, S.S. 1989-90, c. C-7.2, s. 37Child protection — Evidence — Parenting deficiencies — Ministry raised concerns about home conditions, domestic violence, and parenting skills — Parents disputed Ministry’s evidence and presented improvements — Does the evidence support the Ministry’s concerns regarding the parents’ ability to provide adequate care? — Court found evidence supported Ministry’s concerns, including lack of parenting capacity and reliance on external supportIndigenous peoples — Cultural considerations — Aboriginal heritage of parents — Parents sought to ensure children’s connection to Indigenous culture — Should cultural considerations influence the court’s decision? — Court recommended Ministry facilitate children’s participation in cultural activities and respect parents’ cultural wishes where appropriate

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[…]   [81] The Ministry was concerned that Mr. Simpson’s past convictions for sexual assault, in particular, might place his children at risk. For this reason, they required him to participate in an assessment of his risk to re-offend sexually.   […]  He explained that age is not the defining factor but the stage of physical development is. He said that he found nothing indicating that Mr. Simpson is attracted to pre-pubescent children.   […]  

21.

Canadian Law Library Review, 2013 CanLIIDocs 110

Hilary Stamper, Erica Anderson, Max David King et al – Canadian Law Library Review

132 pages

canadienne des bibliothèques — library — legal — conference — research

Criminal or statutory infractions Evidence and procedure Legal theory

[…]   As a result of technology competence surveys, the iden- tification of core technological competencies, and the recog- nition of the importance of emerging technology, an infor- mation technology education group (IT-EDU) was created at UMN to develop a broad curriculum of technology edu- cation for library staff.   […]   The following appeared in The Oregonian on October 21, 2012: “Irene Bessette, educated as a lawyer in France, and as a librarian and lawyer in the United States, was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1924 as Irena Borman and assumed the name of Irena Bakowska during the war in order to hide her Jewish identity.   […]

22.

Canadian Law Library Review, 2018 CanLIIDocs 26

John F Bolan, Rex Shoyama, Susan Barker et al – Canadian Law Library Review

119 pages

metrics — library — media

Citizenship and immigration Evidence and procedure Legal theory

[…]   Allow those evaluated to verify data and analysis. Allowing researchers to verify the data on which they are being evaluated will give them a sense of agency over the process and allow them to be active participants thereby lessening their concerns about the fairness of the evaluation process.   […]   ” 15:3 Canadian Business Law Journal 335; Shelley Kierstead & Erika Abner, “Text Work as Identity Work for Legal Writers: How Writing Texts Contribute to the Construction of a Professional Identity” (2012) 9 Legal Communication and Rhetoric: JALWD 327; Sonia Lawrence & Signa Daum Shanks, “Indigenous Lawyers in   […]

23.

Re J.B., 2006 ABPC 355 (CanLII)

Provincial Court

2006-10-26  |  52 pages

AI-generated

Child protection Family

Family law — Children — Guardianship — Access — Best interests of child

[…]   Her performance IQ is in the low average range and her verbal IQ is in the extremely low range.   […]   [69] This child is at risk for mental health problems. She is at risk for all four factors.   […]

24.

KK (Re), 2026 ABCJ 47 (CanLII)

Alberta Court of Justice

2026-03-20  |  34 pages

AI-generated

Child protection Family Guardianship

Family law — Children — Guardianship — Permanent guardianship

[…]   [6] A cognitive assessment has been done for AK, and it is noted that her IQ has been noted to be around the 60% mark. AK struggles with her executive functioning and needs coaching to deal with everyday tasks.   […]   The cognitive capacity assessment notes AK’s IQ to be between 55 to 65 and that AK “struggles in executive functioning and needs coaching and a hands-on approach in completing tasks”.   […]

25.

Xavier Beauchamp-Tremblay on Legal Technology, 2020 CanLIIDocs 2077

Xavier Beauchamp-Tremblay – Slaw.ca

82 pages

legal — blockchain — lawyers — podcasts — Google — telecommunication

Technology

[…]   The audience (lawyers, by a large majority) was sent home at the end of the day feeling like there was nothing left to do but watch the (AI, blockchain, you name it) train pass.   […]   [2] At least those entrusted to lawyers. What type of problems should be entrusted to lawyers in the first place instead of being solved (or prevented) with AI-based systems is an entirely different and valid question.   […]

26.

R. v. Harris, 2002 BCPC 33 (CanLII)

Provincial Court of British Columbia

2002-02-07  |  42 pages  |  cited by 7 documents

AI-generated

Criminal or statutory infractions Practice and procedure

Criminal law — Property offences — Breaking and entering

[…]   In R. v. Gray (Vancouver Registry 117012 and 113744, as yet undecided) I heard evidence that 70 to 90% of people who have been adversely affected by their mother's use of alcohol during their pregnancy will look normal, have normal physical development, and test in the normal range for intelligence. They will be treated as   […]   For example, in British Columbia, people who have an IQ of 70 or more do not qualify for a disability pension. Eligibility is based solely on intelligence.   […]

27.

Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton v. L.H., 2008 CanLII 59556 (ON SC)

Superior Court of Justice

2008-11-18  |  48 pages  |  cited by 1 document

AI-generated

The Court granted Crown wardship for a special needs child, finding the parents failed to provide clean, safe housing despite extensive support and opportunities. While parenting quality issues raised triable concerns, the housing deficiencies rendered the outcome inevitable. Access rights remain a triable issue.

Practice and procedure

Child protection — Crown wardship — Housing deficiencies — Parenting capacity — Child’s best interests — Parents failed to provide clean, safe, and suitable housing for D.M. despite repeated opportunities — Does the inability to meet housing requirements justify Crown wardship without access? — Child and Family Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.11 — Rule 16 of the Family Law Rules applied to grant summary judgmentFamily — Access to Crown ward — Adoption opportunities — Beneficial and meaningful relationship — Parents sought access to D.M. post-Crown wardship — Does access impair the child’s adoption prospects? — Section 59(2.1) of the Child and Family Services Act presumes against access unless proven otherwise — Triable issue found regarding accessCivil procedure — Summary judgment — Genuine issue for trial — Parents argued housing and parenting issues required a full trial — Society argued no triable issue existed regarding housing deficiencies — Does the evidence support summary judgment for Crown wardship? — Rule 16 of the Family Law Rules governs summary judgment in child protection casesFamily — Parenting deficiencies — Child’s developmental needs — Parents failed to meet D.M.’s physical, emotional, and developmental needs despite extensive support — Does the evidence demonstrate the parents’ inability to provide adequate care? — Best interests of the child prioritized under section 37(3) of the Child and Family Services Act

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[…]   The mother and father were ranked in the 2nd and 1st percentiles respectively on the full scale IQ score. Both are functionally illiterate. [27] Dr. Walton-Allen also completed a 62 page Parenting Capacity Assessment of the parents dated March 16, 2007 which recommended D.M. be made a Crown ward and placed for purposes of   […]  (e) Make their best efforts to address and promote on an ongoing basis the child’s physical development and progress (including weight gain, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills), together with her cognitive and speech/language skills.   […]  

28.

Selected Slaw Columns From 2008-2020, 2020 CanLIIDocs 3158

Omar Ha-Redeye – Slaw.ca

1,205 pages

Court of Appeal — Confidential Settlement — Colonial Genocide — Digital Charter — privacy — Freemen

Access to information and privacy Evidence and procedure Technology

[…]   She proposes that incorporating diversity into every stage of design, deployment and review of AI can minimize the inadvertent discriminatory effects of AI. These interdisciplinary teams should include lawyers, social scientists, as well as coders and computer engineers.   […]   Luis Millan describes in the cover story of Canadian Lawyer how the legal industry is on the cusp of a major transformation, Fuelled by Big Data, increased computing power and more effective algorithms (a routine process for solving a program or performing a task), AI has the potential to change the way that legal work is   […]

29.

Criminal Law: Canadian Law, Indigenous Laws & Critical Perspectives, 2nd ed, 2023 CanLIIDocs 316 (updated in 2025)

Benjamin Perrin, David Milward, Michelle Lawrence et al – Canadian Legal Information Institute

1,448 pages

criminal — rights — racism — visible minority — societal conflict

Criminal or statutory infractions Indigenous peoples

[…]   Lawyers & AI ................................................................................................................ 729 9.1.1 Canadian Bar Association, Ethics of Artificial Intelligence for the Legal Practitioner (20