The software, LeaseChat, was developed through the school's Artificial Intelligence Lab, which was introduced in August prior to the fall semester with a mandate to develop and build a chatbot to help renters nationwide.
Kimball Dean Parker, founder and chief executive of legal tech company SixFifty as well as head of the university's AI Lab, said in a statement Monday: "It's difficult for renters to know their legal rights because they need to understand both the law and their lease. LeaseChat helps with both. Our hope is that this tool can level the playing field and help millions of renters to know and exercise their rights."
Users can upload their leases and the software will analyze the terms and point out red flags. Users can also ask an AI chatbot follow-up questions. The software takes into account the renter's location to identify city and state laws that may be applicable, including timing for repairs, notice requirements and deposit return rules. LeaseChat additionally drafts letters to landlords.
"The AI Lab provides a unique learning experience for our students to build and launch an AI product," said Adam Chilton, dean of the law school. "It also produces a tremendous public benefit that can help millions of people across the nation."
Ten law students participated in the LeaseChat project. The group built the tool during the fall semester, researching the law, coding the platform, designing the user interface and conducting outreach.
"The AI Lab has helped open my eyes to what the latest technology can do and what it's like to build an AI product for a population that needs help," Nanako Watanabe, a law student participating in the AI Lab, said in Monday's announcement. "It's one of the most meaningful experiences I've had in law school."
Since the emergence of generative AI, the technology has made its way to law schools. Institutions like Washington University School of Law and Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law have added AI courses to their curricula. Stanford's Legal Innovation through Frontier Technology lab, or liftlab, seeks to increase access to legal services in the private sector by using artificial intelligence and other burgeoning technologies.
--Editing by Robert Rudinger.
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