Artificial intelligence tools are poised to significantly impact how U.S. courts conduct business in the coming years, though human judges will remain integral according to Chief Justice John Roberts. In his year-end report on the federal judiciary, Roberts acknowledged the growing role AI will play in influencing judges and the cases brought before them. This comes on the heels of a turbulent year for the Supreme Court involving controversies around ethics and gifts from benefactors.
“Machines cannot fully replace key actors in court,” Roberts wrote. “Nuance matters.” He explained that human subtleties – body language, tones, hesitation – still render human perception superior for courtroom inferences. “And most people still trust humans more than machines,” he added. However, AI will profoundly alter legal research and how lawyers prepare cases. The Chief Justice predicted legal research may soon be “unimaginable” without AI assistance. But he cautioned that AI also risks hampering privacy and “dehumanizing” the law if not conscientiously implemented.
There have already been embarrassing incidents of AI tools cited in legal briefs fabricating case law and facts. As generative AI continues producing remarkably humanlike but sometimes inaccurate text and imagery, errors could undermine credibility. Still, Roberts asserted that “human judges will be around for a while.” He seems unruffled by the AI frenzy sweeping finance and tech, noting the courts have always been slow to adapt to technological change. The Chief Justice himself still drafts opinions by hand.
While acknowledging the risks, Roberts’ message endorses the inescapable adoption of transformative AI capabilities across the legal profession. But he affirms that human judges will remain at the helm of courtrooms, aided by machines rather than replaced. This signals that while disruption is imminent, the measured and ethical integration of AI with constitutional principles will be pursued to evolve rather than upend the U.S. judicial system.
