AI in Court Hearings? Judges in England, Wales Can Now Use ChatGPT For Legal Rulings

Judges in Wales and England will now be able to make use of the AI chatbot for assistance with legal ruling writing.

ChatGPT Now Allowed For Legal Rulings in England, Wales

Permission to use the famous AI chatbot comes despite how ChatGPT is prone to constructing bogus cases. The tool also admits on its landing page that it can make mistakes.

One British judge has already described the AI tool as jolly useful. ChatGPT has also been infiltrating the legal industry more and more, concerning some experts.

Nevertheless, the new official guidance of the Judicial Office, which was issued to thousands of judges, notes that the AI can be used to summarize huge amounts of text and that it can also help with administrative duties. These are simply basic work tasks.

However, parts of the process that are more salient, such as performing legal research or analysis, should not be entrusted to chatbots.

According to Sir Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls who heads Civil Justice in Wales and England, AI grants vital opportunities that could help with developing a quicker, more cost-effective, and better digital justice system. Sir Vos adds that technology will only keep advancing and that the judiciary needs to understand what is happening.

The guidance serves as the first of its kind in this jurisdiction. Sir Vos explains that, as the system is quite new, it is important to ensure that judges from all levels understand its capacities, how it does what it can do, and what it is unable to accomplish.

AI Limitations

This step forward comes despite the admission that the AI is capable of making bogus cases and that the public could widely use it when presenting legal cases. With this, Sir Vos notes that judges, like everyone else, must be aware of the capacity of AI to give both accurate and inaccurate responses.

These judges have also been warned about the signs that show that an AI chatbot may have prepared certain legal arguments.

Associate Santiago Paz from law firm Dentons urges responsible ChatGPT use by lawyers. Paz notes that while the answers of the bot may appear convincing, the reality is that its capacities are still quite limited, adding that lawyers should know that ChatGPT is not a legal expert.

Chief of Staff Jaeger Glucina from the law firm Luminance also notes that generative AIs, like ChatGPT, cannot be relied on as a factual source. She explains that the model should be seen as a well-read friend and not a field expert.

Nick Emmerson, the president of the Law society, explains that making use of the bot for summarizing judgments could boost the efficiency of the court. However, Emmerson also admits that AI could get things wrong. He adds that it is crucial to remember that judges play a vital role as humans in judicial discretion. The process of decision-making should not be taken over by machines.

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