In his annual report, Chief Justice John Roberts propounded on the future ramifications of artificial intelligence (AI) on the legal system. Despite the imminent impact of technology on judicial work, Justice Robers articulated that human judges will have a lasting presence in courtrooms. His insights also reassured the public that federal committees are actively deliberating on incorporating AI in federal court litigation processes.
The annual report, normally issued every 31st December, offers the Justice’s perspective on major matters concerning the federal court system. This iteration noticeably sidestepped addressing some of the controversial events that have embroiled the Supreme Court, including reports on justices failing to disclose gifts and travel expenses, or the unidentified source of leaked opinions on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case.
Rather, Chief Justice Roberts chose to spotlight the role of AI in the future of judiciary work. In 2023, AI earned significant attention as a game-changing factor in the legal industry when an AI tool named ChatGPT passed numerous law school examinations. However, as one incident involving Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s attorney, showed, dependence on AI can sometimes end in disaster. Cohen faced an undesirable outcome when he used an AI tool that served up citations to fictitious cases for his criminal defense lawyer.
While the Chief Justice acknowledged AI as a powerful tool capable of increasing access to critical information for both lawyers and non-lawyers, he underscored the need for “caution and humility” in its application. Roberts emphasized the potential risk of infringing on privacy rights and contributing to the dehumanization of law through the imprudent application of AI.
Despite advancements in AI and technology, Roberts dismissed the notion that judicial roles would soon be redundant. He drew parallels between legal determinations and professional tennis, pointing out how the sport employs optical technology to determine the path of high-speed serves, but insists legal rulings often inhabit gray areas that require the application of human judgment. The annual report further consisted of an appendix enumerating the workload of the federal judiciary, highlighting a noteworthy decline of 15% in petitions for review and a 22% fall in paid cases during the 2022-23 term.
More on the subject can be read on SCOTUSblog.