Most likely, you don’t type “Article 35 of Law No. 53/2003” into Google. Instead, you describe your situation in plain language:
“Can I fire an employee if they haven’t shown up to work for a week?”
Or
“What are my rights if my landlord refuses to return my security deposit?”
Legal professionals rely on structured knowledge—specific articles, case law, and legal doctrines. But ordinary people ask legal questions the way they experience them: as real-life situations, not citations from a law book.
This is where AI, and specifically semantic search, becomes essential. Let’s break down why traditional search methods struggle with legal queries, and how AI can bridge this gap.
The Challenges of Building an AI for Legal Information
Legal texts are some of the most structured yet complicated documents in existence. They are precise in language, full of references to other laws, and often difficult to interpret without expertise.
A simple keyword-based search, like what you’d find in a basic document retrieval system, doesn’t work well because:
- Legal language is different from everyday language
- A search for “fire an employee” won’t match a law that discusses “termination of an employment contract.”
- Laws often reference other laws
- Understanding one article often requires knowing multiple related regulations.
- Context is crucial
- The same phrase can mean different things depending on the situation. “Termination of contract” means something different in labor law versus commercial agreements.
So, instead of relying on exact keyword matches, we needed something smarter—an AI that understands what people mean, not just what they type.
Why Semantic Search is the Key
Semantic search is an AI-powered method that understands the intent and meaning behind a question rather than just matching keywords. Instead of a mechanical lookup, it works more like a human expert—grasping the essence of the question and retrieving the most relevant legal text.
Here’s how it works:
- Understanding User Intent
- The AI processes natural language questions and interprets their meaning.
- It doesn’t just look for exact words but understands synonyms and legal phrasing.
- Finding the Right Legal Provisions
- The AI searches a structured database of laws but does so based on concepts, not just words.
- If you ask about “employee rights,” it finds relevant labor laws, even if the exact phrase isn’t used.
- Returning Precise Answers
- Instead of overwhelming the user with hundreds of pages of legal text, the AI surfaces the most relevant articles and explanations.
- This saves time and makes legal information accessible to non-lawyers.
How We Built an AI for Romanian Laws
We wanted to create an AI assistant that anyone in Romania could use to quickly find legal answers—without needing legal expertise or expensive consultations. That’s why we built ai-aflat (ai-aflat.ro), a free AI-powered legal assistant specifically designed for Romanian laws.
Here’s what makes it special:
✅ Conversational Search – Ask questions in plain Romanian, and the AI finds the relevant legal provisions.
✅ Up-to-Date Legal Knowledge – The system is continuously updated with Romanian laws to ensure accuracy.
✅ Fast and Free – No waiting, no fees—just instant legal information at your fingertips.
Our AI assistant does not replace a lawyer, but it helps users understand their rights, obligations, and options before taking the next step. Whether you’re a business owner, tenant, employee, or just someone with a legal question, AI Aflat provides clear and relevant answers.
Legal information should be accessible to everyone, not just legal professionals. That’s why we built ai-aflat—to bring the power of AI to Romanian law and make legal knowledge as easy to find as a Google search.
Try it out at ai-aflat.ro and see for yourself how AI can help you navigate the law! 🚀