The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, has warned about the potential risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal system. In a year-end report, Roberts acknowledged that AI is likely to play an increased role in the work of attorneys and judges, but he doesn’t believe that human judges will be fully replaced anytime soon. He suggested that legal research without the help of AI may become “unthinkable” in the future, as AI tools have the potential to dramatically increase access to legal resources. However, Roberts also acknowledged the risks and drawbacks of AI, including the invasion of privacy and the dehumanization of the law. He highlighted instances where popular AI chatbots have produced false information, and urged caution and humility when relying on these tools. In light of the risks, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals has proposed a rule that would require lawyers to certify that they did not rely on AI software to draft briefs, or that a human fact-checked and edited any text generated by a chatbot.
