Arizona Supreme Court refuses to ban AI use by judges, will keep testing its use in court system

The Arizona Supreme Court rejected a proposal to temporarily bar judges from using generative artificial intelligence in their work, opting instead to keep testing the technology under close supervision.

The court denied a proposal for a new rule to pause judicial use of AI until it could be studied further. The opinion was released Thursday.

The court is taking a “test-and-monitor approach” since holding a statewide AI summit in December 2023 and creating a steering committee on AI and the courts. That committee has helped produce two rules, including one that took effect in January requiring judges to understand the benefits and risks of technology well enough to use it responsibly.

In denying the petition, the court reiterated that judicial decision-making is “a fundamentally human function,” and no tool, AI or otherwise, can substitute for human decision-making or free judges of accountability for their rulings.

Judges may use court-approved AI tools to reduce case backlogs and improve access to justice.

The court did order the committee to recommend even more rules that would give judges clear, workable standards for responsible use of emerging AI technologies.

The committee’s report is due by March 1, 2027.

The Arizona Supreme Court already uses artificial intelligence “reporters” to disseminate opinions.

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