ABSTRACT
This chapter examines whether technology can truly be harnessed to perform contract-related tasks. It describes how theories of complexity can be applied to hierarchical deconstruction and simplification. The chapter applies these theories to the practical technology of contract analytics. It also describes the modularization and simplification of contract language. The theoretical underpinnings of this chapter are founded on two main hypotheses. First: all complex systems can be examined through the process of hierarchical deconstruction, whereby the common building blocks or patterns can be discovered. Second: all complex systems—over time—follow a maturity model from one-off to commodities. The most significant developments in contract automation have been in the area of machine training. The world of contracts, which has been largely unchanged for hundreds of years, is about to enter a period of rapid transition fueled by a global economy.
