Judges’ AI Blunders Spark Debate on Technology Use in Courts

When questioned by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee over a flawed June opinion, a federal judge blamed an intern’s use of generative AI for the error and banned use of the technology in his chambers. Other judges and law school professors say more can be gained by embracing the ubiquitous technology.

New Jersey US District Court Judge Julien Neals’ October response to Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) letter dismayed AI proponents. The Biden appointee banned staff use of AI tools in research and drafting, and he blamed a docket entry’s mistakes on a law student from an institution Neals ...