In a year-end report published on Sunday, December 31, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts expressed a nuanced perspective on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal field.
Roberts emphasized the need for "caution and humility" in the face of evolving technology, acknowledging AI's potential to enhance access to justice for indigent litigants, revolutionizing legal research, and expediting case resolution.
AI and Its Transformative Technology
In his 13-page report, Roberts underscored AI's transformative potential while highlighting its limitations.
While AI can make legal processes more efficient and cost-effective, the chief justice cautioned against overlooking privacy concerns and the current technology's inability to replicate human discretion.
Despite recognizing the enduring presence of human judges, Roberts predicted a significant impact of AI on judicial work, particularly at the trial level.
According to Rappler, the chief justice's commentary marks his most significant discussion to date on the influence of AI on the law.
It coincides with ongoing deliberations in lower courts on adapting to a technology capable of passing the bar exam but prone to generating fictitious content, referred to as "hallucinations."
Responsible Usage of Artificial Intelligence
Roberts stressed the necessity for caution in AI usage, citing instances where AI-generated hallucinations led to the citation of non-existent cases in court papers, a practice he deemed "always a bad idea."
According to Law.com, these instances include Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former lawyer, inadvertently incorporating fake case citations generated by an AI program into an official court filing.
In response to the challenges posed by AI in the legal realm, a federal appeals court in New Orleans proposed a rule aimed at regulating the use of generative AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT by lawyers.
The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals' proposed rule requires lawyers to certify that they either did not rely on AI programs to draft briefs or that humans reviewed the accuracy of any text generated by AI in their court filings.
This move signals an evolving landscape where the legal system grapples with integrating AI while seeking to maintain the integrity of legal processes.


Elon Musk’s SpaceX Explores Merger Options With Tesla or xAI, Reports Say
Palantir Stock Jumps After Strong Q4 Earnings Beat and Upbeat 2026 Revenue Forecast
OpenAI Reportedly Eyes Late-2026 IPO Amid Rising Competition and Massive Funding Needs
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock
Oracle Plans $45–$50 Billion Funding Push in 2026 to Expand Cloud and AI Infrastructure
Amazon Stock Dips as Reports Link Company to Potential $50B OpenAI Investment
SoftBank and Intel Partner to Develop Next-Generation Memory Chips for AI Data Centers
Apple Earnings Beat Expectations as iPhone Sales Surge to Four-Year High
Nvidia Nears $20 Billion OpenAI Investment as AI Funding Race Intensifies
Nintendo Shares Slide After Earnings Miss Raises Switch 2 Margin Concerns
Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate
Nvidia’s $100 Billion OpenAI Investment Faces Internal Doubts, Report Says
Google Cloud and Liberty Global Forge Strategic AI Partnership to Transform European Telecom Services
Federal Judge Signals Possible Dismissal of xAI Lawsuit Against OpenAI 



