Chief Justice Roberts says courts need caution when using AI

In short: Chief Justice John Roberts says AI can help courts and lawyers, but it should be used carefully and it cannot replace human judges.

What's going on

Chief Justice John Roberts has described mixed feelings about artificial intelligence in the legal system. He says AI can make it easier to find information and could improve access to justice, meaning it may help more people understand and use the court system.

In his 2023 year-end report, Roberts wrote that human judges will still be necessary, even as AI becomes more common in court work, especially in trial courts. He said AI could speed up legal research, which is the process of finding past cases and laws that matter to a current case (like using a very fast library search). At the same time, he said the courts should approach AI with “caution and humility.”

Roberts has also highlighted risks. He warned that AI can invade privacy, introduce bias (when a system treats some people unfairly), and “dehumanize” the law by pushing decisions toward automation instead of careful human judgment.

He has pointed to a specific problem sometimes called AI “hallucinations,” when a system makes up facts or sources, including false legal citations. He also raised concerns about using AI for discretionary decisions, such as judging whether someone might flee before trial or reoffend, because those calls involve judgment and real world context.

What to watch

Roberts has said AI may also put pressure on young lawyers by automating tasks often done by junior associates. The key question now is how courts and law firms set rules so AI is treated like a tool that assists, not a substitute for a judge’s decision.

Source: NYTimes