Imagine preparing for a high-stakes court case without ever stepping into a courtroom. Sounds futuristic, right? That’s exactly what one legal tech startup is enabling, by blending the power of Artificial Intelligence with the irreplaceable nuance of human insight.

In a world rapidly embracing generative AI, one company is standing out by staying rooted in the value of human input. Enter EmotionTrac, a legal tech startup that’s revolutionizing jury selection and trial preparation.

As Aaron Itzkowitz, the founder of EmotionTrac, says, “The difference we deliver that other AI companies don’t offer—we’re delivering a combination of AI with data from real people. That’s a big bonus.” This unique approach has carved out a niche for the company in an otherwise technology-driven landscape.

While AI tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) have made substantial strides, they still fall short in areas requiring emotional and social nuances. “There’s still an element of social science and interpretation,” says Itzkowitz, emphasizing that human expertise remains indispensable.

EmotionTrac’s core technology revolves around tracking human emotions using video cameras and facial recognition technology. Participants in their studies watch a video about a case, while the technology collects real-time data on their emotional responses. This data is then aggregated and provided to lawyers, offering invaluable insights for case strategies.

Participants in EmotionTrac’s studies undergo screening and are selected based on specific demographics defined by the client. This careful selection process ensures the data’s relevance and accuracy. Participants provide their demographic information, watch the case video, and fill out pre- and post-surveys to contribute to the dataset.

“We screen everybody before they participate in the study, and depending on what demographics the client wants to test against, we’ll determine what questions are being served,” Itzkowitz explains. Users are rewarded for their participation, which further enhances engagement and data quality.

Having achieved over half a billion dollars in recovery for their clients, EmotionTrac’s impact is undeniable. “We’re certain about the data we deliver to the customer,” says Itzkowitz, highlighting their technology’s effectiveness.

While EmotionTrac sees great value in LLMs, they position them more as supportive tools rather than primary solutions. The company uses LLMs to analyze data, generate reports, and identify trends but ensures human oversight for all outputs to maintain accuracy.

Itzkowitz notes, “You hear stories about LLMs in the legal sector where draft agreements generated were inaccurate. There are people working on it, but human oversight is still needed.” This perspective underscores the importance of proofreading LLM-generated content to avoid potential inaccuracies.

EmotionTrac is also exploring the potential of allowing clients to query data directly using natural language processing (NLP) via APIs connected to LLMs. This added value could make their technology even more user-friendly and versatile.

Reflecting on the future, Itzkowitz shares, “I think we might just incorporate that and give [customers] the added value.”

Why This Matters

EmotionTrac’s success story is a testament to the power of combining AI with human touchpoints. In a sector as critical as law, where emotional intelligence and human analysis are pivotal, their approach ensures that technology enhances rather than replaces human expertise.

What do you think? Should more AI applications in sensitive fields like law adopt a hybrid approach? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!