AI’s impact on international law: Experts share insights from the Wolters Kluwer Future Ready Lawyer Survey

Walter chose a 2023 conference in Berlin as her defining moment. Every speech began with someone experimenting with ChatGPT, and during the expert discussions, it was apparent that serious tasks were undertaken by AI. At the conference, the Minister of Justice of Germany spoke about the use of artificial intelligence. She noted that “here is a technology that has come to stay and take a deep root, and it will change the way judicial bodies work. It will fundamentally change the nature of the profession, and I could really feel that that didn’t take place in the past with digitization that much, and so that was a very impressive moment to see that change happening.”

International Law in America Courts

Konstance noted that Born’s latest work, International Law in America Courts, makes “a powerful statement” that “international law is constitutionally embedded as part of the U.S. federal law, and that recent political rhetoric, which dismisses international law as fun, is fundamentally at odds with the framers’ intent, those who founded our nation.” She asked Born what inspired him to write this, and why it matters so much right now in today’s world. Born replied that he was inspired by “an ongoing debate between those who are sometimes called the modernists, who had concluded that international law had the status of federal common law. It wasn’t necessarily part of the body of federal law recognized in the Constitution Supremacy Clause, but federal courts were empowered to recognize and to apply international laws as federal law, thus enabling it to override inconsistent state law, and also to permit cases to be brought in federal rather than state courts.” He noted that the “so-called revisionists” argued that international law had the status of state law, and therefore most states wouldn’t recognize rules of international law. His interest was sparked by the opposing views and considered what the framers of our Constitution were thinking about international law. Born came to two basic conclusions: the framers intentionally included international law as part of the laws of the United States, and international law did exist and was exceptionally important.

Konstance followed up with a question referring to people who may not be U.S. citizens: “Why should they care about the Constitution, and how it relates to international law? How does that affect their practical practice, and, and how they work across borders?”

“The status of international laws as federal law ensures both that it is applied in American courts,” Born answered. He explained that U.S. courts have done a “rather satisfactory” job in upholding the Constitution and he expects that they will do so with other aspects of federal law, including treating international laws as federal law.

At this point, Walter chimed in with a question for Born. Walter was curious as to whether what Born said about the U.S. when it comes to international law resonates with European perspective. “Are there similar developments with international law and sovereignty?”

Born replied that there is a debate within the EU “with respect to the competence of EU institutions vis-a-vis national institutions.” Noting that there is always a “healthy tension” between local concerns and interests and broader perspectives that can ensure that both types of perspectives are respected. In every nation, how local interests are reconciled with national or international interests is important, at this moment in particular, when some political leaders and some academics question the need for the legitimacy of the existence of international law. Born contined that it is critical to remember how important historically it was in both the U.S. and Germany, as well as other countries, but perspective may be different. It may be manifested in different ways.

AI and legal practice

Konstance noted that the 2026 Future Ready Lawyer Survey not only indicated that more than 90% of legal professionals now report using at least one AI tool in their daily workflow, and 62% say they’re seeing time savings of six to 20% of their work week. She asked Born if those numbers reflect what he is seeing in his arbitration practice. “Although AI is the topic of the moment of the year, we’ve been in a period over the last several decades of exceptional technological developments.” Born said that Wolters Kluwer has been at the forefront of a number of them, including AI. “We tend to take the use of computer-assisted research for granted given the rise of AI,” but it was a technological revolution intended “to reduce which supposedly was going to radically reduce the need for lawyers, and the number of lawyers,” Born said.

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2026 Future Ready Lawyer Report webinar series

2026 Future Ready Lawyer Report

International Law in American Courts, by Gary B. Born