The internet’s Robin Hood uses robo-lawyers to fight parking tickets and spam calls (Ep. 471)
There are three constants in life: death, taxes, and parking tickets. Joshua Browder, founder and CEO of DoNotPay, tells us how a heap of expensive parking tickets inspired him to build software that helps people avoid fines, secure refunds, claim free land, win back lost savings, and even combat systemic racism. Plus: Could you be monetizing those annoying spam calls?
Episode notes:
DoNotPay offers more than 250 “automated justice” services in every US state, from suing robo-callers to annulling marriages to fighting eviction. It earned Joshua the title “Robin Hood of the internet.”
DoNotPay leverages AI and ML solutions, including GPT-3, to shape and refine its decision trees.
Read about how DoNotPay is helping crypto traders who’ve lost money file suit against fallen leaders.
Why PDFs are unfit for human (or computer) consumption.
Follow Joshua on Twitter.
Today’s Lifeboat badge goes to user EM-Creations for their answer to the question The PHP header() function is not redirecting.
Tags: ai, automated justice, donotpay, gpt-3, the stack overflow podcast
12 Comments
I haven’t listened to the podcast because I have no real interest, but I find it disturbing that people would try to get out of paying parking tickets. If you got a parking ticket, it’s because you were parked illegally. Just pay the fine and don’t park there again. And actually, I find it equally worrying that parking tickets would be considered a common thing. I’ve been driving for over ten years and never once got a parking ticket. I’m not even specifically trying to avoid them. I just don’t break the rules. It’s not hard.
Am I being unreasonable?
Yes, because sometimes people are fined unfairly, when they haven’t broken any laws (I have seen people fined when the lines were painted while they were away!), and richer folk can afford either to pay unfair fines or fight it. Having a solution that’s affordable for everyone makes the world a fairer place.
The explanation is simple: personal responsibility and accepting negative consequences for ones actions are simply not “in” these days in the USA.. Seems like they love their freedoms, but will not tolerate negative consequences.
Additionally, as an Australian I find it horrifying that “Sue Anyone” is a headline feature of DoNotPay. That’s just… so wrong. It makes me feel ill. Suing people should be an absolute last resort and very rare. This is just symptomatic of the USA’s vile culture of extreme consumerism and greed. “They wronged me, therefore it’s my right to ruin their lives and force them to pay me money”. Ugh.
Absolutely. Only rich people who can afford a lawyer should be allowed to sue other people when they’re wronged.
ಠ_ಠ
Weird, that you have rose colored glasses on for this tool. “levels the playing field” seems to be your belief? but last I check most people dont sue rich people they sue each other over nonsense, just look at those ridiculous day time court room shows. congratulation we have a robotic judge Judy.
DoNotPay seems like a great solution to a common problem in America.
DoNotPay is, ironically, well-known for charging subscription fees indefinitely to anyone who has given them their personal information, with no way to cancel this. So I’d say DoNotTouch this.
Perhaps one can use it to robo-sue itself?
I was really disappointed in this podcast because it seems to be an open secret online that this service is a scam. You didn’t ask any tough questions about how most of their services do not work. They also use the same legal abuses against their own customers. Other main stream publications have also gotten swindled into giving this company positive PR, but that is not an excuse for y’all. I want to learn things about technology, not get swindled into shady services. This is kind of strike one for me and this podcast, otherwise I’ll just assume this podcast is just for paid ads.
Thanks for giving me the lifeboat mention at the end 🙂
I just so happened to be listening to this episode and it put a smile on my face.
Here’s the question from yearsssssss ago: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/12817846/the-php-header-function-is-not-redirecting/12818740#12818740
Ill just leave this here. Speaks for itself:
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/donotpay.com