Nguyen Minh Tuan et. al.
Journal of East Asia and International Law (WoS [ESCI]/Scopus)
Volume 19 Number 1, pp. 179-200
Published on May 30th 2026
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14330/jeail.2026.19.1.08
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Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly reshaping legal practice by assisting with statutory interpretation, precedent retrieval, document analysis, and prediction of litigation outcomes. Yet the rise of AI in adjudication and legal services also raises deeper questions about the nature of legal reasoning itself. This article examines three core issues: first, the extent to which AI can replicate traditional legal reasoning methods, especially statutory interpretation, case-based reasoning, and value balancing; second, the principal risks associated with AI-assisted legal reasoning, including opacity, bias, accountability gaps, liability problems, ethical limits, and contextual misunderstanding; and third, the legal, technological, and socio-ethical orientations required to ensure that AI remains subject to human oversight. Drawing on domestic and international materials, including the EU AI Act, UNESCO and OECD principles, and comparative legal scholarship, the article argues that AI may strengthen legal decision-making only if it operates as a supportive instrument within a human-centered rule-of-law framework.
Keywords: Legal Reasoning, Artificial Intelligence, Statutory Interpretation, Case-Based Reasoning, Value Balancing
