Is It Possible to Integrate the Features of Society 5.0 Into Legal Systems? An Estimation of Procedural Principles

It is a fact that artificial intelligence (AI) technology currently threatens many legal fields like cybersecurity, data privacy, intellectual properties, etc. Especially in the field of intellectual property, it is a topic we all debate about that there is a risk against fine arts such as painting, music, literature, etc. We all agree that appropriate legal regulations should be made. However, we also need to address this issue from a procedural perspective. In this article, I will explain the meaning of the term “Society 5.0” and then share my thoughts about its impact on the Turkish legal system’s procedural principles.

What is Society 5.0?

Society 5.0 is a concept that originated in Japan, reflecting the evolution of societal structures and technological advancements. Society 5.0 was introduced by the Japanese government in 2016, It was proposed in the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan as a future society concept. One definition of Society 5.0 is, "A human centered society that balances economic progress with the resolution of social problems by means of a system integrating cyberspace and physical space in unprecedented ways." as stated in Cabinet Office’s (n.d.) article. As Fukuyama (2018) mentioned in their article, Society 5.0's objective is to create a society where people enjoy their lives most.

At its core, Society 5.0 envisions the seamless integration of cyberspace and physical space, facilitated by emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and big data. This concept seeks to create a human-centric society that leverages advanced technologies to address complex challenges and improve the overall quality of life.

Societal Phases

Society 5.0 explains the societal constructs in chronological order of significant technological innovations. The term itself represents a fifth structure to be achieved. The previous societies are usually named like this:

• The Hunting Society (Society 1.0): a hunter-gatherer society is characterized by depending on hunting and foraging for survival. It is agreed that all human societies followed this lifestyle for a long time in prehistorical times. This society is estimated to have the longest time period of all.
• The Agricultural Society (Society 2.0): After the first agricultural activities, humankind started a settled lifestyle. This area was the best example of human collaboration in terms of survival. The economy was mainly dependent on agricultural products.
• The Industrial Society (Society 3.0): The Industrial Revolution had the biggest impact triggering the start of this society. It follows the previous agricultural stage as a new improved model. Mechanization got popularized and social classes began to classify people by some specific traits such as economy.
• The Information Society (Society 4.0): With the invention of computers, information started to spread around the world easily and turned society into an info-dependent Society 4.0. Information itself became a subject of economic actions.

And then Society 5.0 comes next, the super smart society.

Historically, the transition through different societal stages has been marked by significant technological innovations. Society 1.0 witnessed the use of tools and the advent of language, while Society 2.0 was characterized by the development of agriculture. Society 3.0 emerged with the Industrial Revolution. Society 4.0 is also known as the information age.

Current Progress in Daily Life

Society 5.0 builds upon the foundation laid by its predecessors, aiming to create a highly connected and intelligent society. It envisions a future where technology is seamlessly integrated into everyday life, solving societal challenges such as aging populations, environmental sustainability, and healthcare. The emphasis is on utilizing technology not only for economic advancement but also for the betterment of humanity.

One of the most famous technologies of the concept is augmented reality (AR). Although it first appeared as a simple reality technology, it is now quite advanced. As explained in Wikipedia, the first functional examples were invented in the 90s for use in the military field. The first examples for commercial purposes were released in the entertainment and gaming industry. The most common version today is the handheld one. A Handheld version is a small display that fits in the user’s hand, which gives an opportunity to easily set up on mobile phones. The most famous example of this is The Pokémon Company's Pokémon GO. It is a mobile game application developed and published by Niantic Inc. It was released in 2016 starting with a famed reputation. As Berryman (2016) mentioned in their article, it is widely accepted that this game has an important place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It is stated that the game acts as a digital catalyst because Pokémon Go affected daily life in just a few days in 2016 compared to the other technological innovations of previous societies (Newman, 2016).

Insight

Society 5.0 promotes a more citizen-centric approach, which requires legal systems to adapt to the changing needs and expectations of individuals. Since this technology requires input from human intelligence, the phrasing of legal statements plays a critical role in getting better results. Currently, the workload in the professions of judges and prosecutors is too intense to handle quickly. AI can be used at a minimal level during the inquiry phase. The written trial procedure is generally applied in the Turkish system. Judges and prosecutors have a dense load of case documents for this reason. Due to this situation, a new profession for law graduates could be created to employ them as some kind of assistant manager, like the paralegal profession. A new profession could be a great opportunity to pave the way for a long-term solution. However, AI tech can be used as a faster and short-term solution.

For example, an AI assistant can be implemented to select the keywords from the documents submitted to the judge. This AI assistant can classify the contents according to dates such as the date of filing of the lawsuit and sort it chronologically. To enable this, those filed documents must be written according to certain rules which happens to be the Civil Procedure Code (Hukuk Muhakemeleri Kanunu). In this case, the input issue comes into play again.

Since the input is the document submitted by the lawyer, the lawyer's work should be discussed. This discussion includes providing accessible and inclusive legal services, as well as addressing social justice issues that may arise due to the unequal distribution of technology and its benefits. In the Turkish system, the legal profession undertakes the task of translating the client's problem into legal documentation. To increase the accuracy of the input, it is critical to improve the legal professions' qualification levels. But of course, the lawyer should benefit from these technologies to improve and adapt to the modern new age.  Doing so will also improve the quality of the lawyer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, since some professions are worried about losing their occupations, it might be reasonable to assume that legal professions will not be stolen by AI and disappear in the Turkish system in these present conditions, at least for a while. Even collaborating with AI tools can be a significant improvement in the results of legal cases.

References

• Augmented reality. (2024, February 18). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality
• Berryman, T. (2016, July 18). How Industry 4.0 and Pokémon Go Met Halfway on the Road to Maximizing the IoT. Robotiq. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://blog.robotiq.com/how-industry-4.0-and-pok%C3%A9mon-go-met-halfway-on-the-road-to-maximizing-the-iot
• Cabinet Office JP (n.d.). Society 5.0. Cabinet Office. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/society5_0/index.html
• Fukuyama, M. (2018, July). Society 5.0: Aiming for a New Human-Centered Society. Japan SPOTLIGHT, 47-50. https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/pdf/220th_Special_Article_02.pdf
• Hitch, J. (2016, August 10). Is Pokémon GO the Catalyst for Digital Reality Revolution? New Equipment Digest. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.newequipment.com/industry-trends/article/22058756/is-pokemon-go-the-catalyst-for-digital-reality-revolution
• Newman, D. (2016, August 22). Pokémon Go and the Introduction of AR. Converge Media. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://convergetechmedia.com/pokemon-go-introduction-ar/
• Society 5.0. (2023, November 30). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Society_5.0&action=history
• Wingfield, N., & Isaac, M. (2016, July 11). Pokémon Go Brings Augmented Reality to a Mass Audience. The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/12/technology/pokemon-go-brings-augmented-reality-to-a-mass-audience.html?_r=0