For generations, courts have relied on the assumption that photographs and video recordings represent reliable evidence. While such evidence could be manipulated, doing so usually required specialised skills and left detectable traces.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering legal practice. Lawyers now routinely use generative AI tools to summarise cases, draft submissions, and assist with legal research. But alongside these efficiencies, courts around the world are confronting an unexpected problem: AI-generated legal arguments that contain fabricated case law.

As judicial institutions around the world modernise, a new frontier is emerging beyond internal court processes: AI-powered public engagement tools. These technologies, including generative AI avatars, interactive chatbots, and automated guidance systems, are being introduced to help the public navigate complex legal systems more effectively and to improve access to justice for all.

Singapore’s courts are using artificial intelligence not to replace judges, but to support justice by improving efficiency, clarity, and access for everyone involved. The approach is practical: AI assists with tasks that are repetitive, document-heavy, or hard for busy people to manage — while human judges remain fully in charge of decisions.

What if AI isn't replacing attorneys but rescuing them from drowning in data?

Within ten years artificial general intelligence could match human capability for reasoning, making it an ideal tool for deciding some civil disputes Richard Susskind was the technology adviser to the lord chief justice between 1998 and 2023; he is the author of How to Think about AI: A Guide for the Perplexed (Oxford University Press)For a free copy of the book tell us what you think in 500 words or less.

New Zealand is taking a major step toward a more efficient and accessible justice system through the expanded use of technology in its courts. The government is set to modernise the law governing the use of audio and audio-visual links (AVL), enabling greater consistency and performance across the legal system.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping every profession, and the judiciary is no exception. Yet for judges, the challenge is unique: how to responsibly integrate generative AI into chambers’ workflows without compromising independence, confidentiality or the quality of judicial reasoning.