LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – America’s court system is cautiously stepping into the artificial intelligence era, as judges and court administrators across the country explore whether AI can help modernize overloaded court systems without undermining public trust in the justice process.
According to the National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC) 2025 annual report, “Looking Forward,” courts across the country are increasingly experimenting with AI tools for everything from case management to legal research and document organization. But while court leaders see opportunity, the public appears far less enthusiastic about letting computers anywhere near the scales of justice.
When chatbots start practicing law without a license.
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That growing skepticism is in no doubt fueled by a string of recent courtroom embarrassments involving attorneys who relied on artificial intelligence tools that apparently treated legal citations like creative writing exercises. In multiple cases this year, lawyers were sanctioned after filing court documents containing fabricated case citations and nonexistent legal precedents generated by AI programs. For critics of AI in the courtroom, the incidents have become cautionary tales about what happens when lawyers let chatbots play junior associate without checking the homework.
AI Is entering the courthouse – slowly.
The NCSC report says formal efforts to study AI in courts began in late 2023 with the creation of an AI Rapid Response Team involving judges, lawyers, academics and technology experts.
The organization says courts are exploring ways AI could improve efficiency, expand access to justice and help overwhelmed court systems manage growing workloads. Projects already underway include AI-assisted case categorization in Texas, strategic AI planning in Washington, D.C., and national training programs on responsible AI use.
Public trust problem: humans still preferred.
One major issue? Americans don’t exactly trust AI with courtroom decisions. The NCSC’s annual State of the State Courts survey found that a majority of Americans view AI in courts as “more harmful than helpful.”
That creates both practical and political headaches for courts trying to modernize without looking like they’re replacing judges with chatbots. The report repeatedly stresses the need for “responsible” AI adoption, emphasizing that technology should assist court operations – not replace human judgment, fairness or accountability.
At the Court Technology Conference in Kansas City in September of 2025, cybersecurity expert Tarah Wheeler warned courts not to lose sight of the human element. “There is nothing inside a computer that can replace the compassion and desire to learn, help, care, and make it better than the people in this room,” Wheeler said.
Michigan connection at the top.
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Leading much of the national conversation about AI in the courts is former Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement, who became president and CEO of the NCSC in 2025.
Under Clement’s leadership, the organization says courts are trying to modernize while preserving public confidence in the judiciary.
Clement said in the report that NCSC is “inspired every day by the dedication of judges, court professionals, and justice system leaders who are committed to ensuring that courts continue to serve the public with fairness, integrity, and excellence.”
For now, courts insist AI is designed to assist the legal system – not replace judges, lawyers, or juries. But after a string of fake AI-generated court filings and growing public skepticism, it’s obvious that many Americans still aren’t ready to put justice in the hands of a chatbot.
