A 19-year-old made a free robot lawyer that helps refugees claim asylum

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March 9, 2017 4:49 PM

20-year-old Joshua Browder has programmed a Facebook messenger chatbot that helps refugees fill out immigration documents in the US, UK, and Canada.

Refugees leave a tent camp for refugees in Brussels on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015.

In late 2015, Stanford student Joshua Browder created a chatbot, called DoNotPay, that helps users appeal parking tickets for free in the UK.

Browder, then 19 years old, described it to Business Insider as one of the world's first robot lawyers. It overturned over $3 million in parking fines in a matter of a few months.

Realizing the bot could have multiple applications, Browder later programmed it to assist travelers in claiming compensation for delayed flights and to help the homeless apply for government housing in the UK.

Now, using Facebook Messenger, the bot can also help refugees fill out immigration applications in the US, UK, and Canada, according to The Guardian.

Once users

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