Judges Given the OK to Use ChatGPT in Legal Rulings

Dec 13, 2023 ·

In a landmark ruling, the United Kingdom Court of Appeal has allowed judges in England and Wales to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology known as ChatGPT in their legal decisions. The ruling is an unprecedented move that could revolutionize the way courts in the UK carry out their judicial duties.

The case began with a dispute between two companies over the construction of a drainage system. During the proceedings, one of the parties requested permission for the court to consider using AI technology—specifically, ChatGPT—to assist in decision making. After hearing arguments from both sides, Lord Justice McFarlane granted the request, noting that there was no existing UK legislation or case law preventing the court from allowing the use of AI.

The decision is being viewed as a major breakthrough in legal circles, as it signals the acceptance of AI by the judiciary. It will also likely have significant implications for how lawyers prepare for court cases, since they may soon be able to utilize ChatGPT in order to provide better legal advice.

ChatGPT is an OpenAI-trained language model, which uses natural language processing to answer questions posed in natural language. It can process vast amounts of data quickly, meaning that it often provides answers more quickly than humans can. This makes it ideal for legal proceedings, where time is often of the essence.

The ruling marks a significant shift in how courts approach technology and demonstrates that the UK judiciary is willing to embrace innovation. However, there are still concerns about the potential implications of allowing AI into the courtroom. For example, some worry that such technology could lead to a 'black box' situation, where judges are unable to fully understand the reasoning behind their decisions.

Nevertheless, the ruling is considered a major milestone in how the legal system is able to interact with new technologies. It remains to be seen how judges will utilize ChatGPT in the future, but the decision is sure to open up new possibilities for the legal profession.