Transcription plays a huge part in the success of the legal system. In particular, the criminal justice system always has a backlog of cases and they’re always looking for ways to improve efficiency and still deliver justice.
For many years, legal documents have been transcribed by people. This was never a process that was thought about since there was no alternative. It was the norm. However, it was always going to have a margin for error, no matter how skilled or experienced the transcriptionist was. There was risk of mishearing witnesses and victims, as well as errors on audio that could change the outcome of the case.
The Introduction of Artificial Intelligence
Courtroom accuracy is imperative for justice. There are high demands in the legal industry and mistakes can’t be made. In some cases, people’s lives depend on it. This has meant that artificial intelligence or AI has been introduced into the court, as well as other sectors of the legal industry. In other words, computer systems are using software in order to perform tasks.
To deal with administrative tasks, as well as helping lawyers, courtroom transcription is taking off. This involves using software to turn audio recordings into transcripts. It can help with efficiency and mean that there aren’t any mistakes in communication. Think about how many recordings a lawyer has to listen to prior to a case. From witness statements to client interrogations, it’s made a lot easier when they can read the transcript instead.
This type of transcription is unique. It’s so important for the outcome of cases. It’s not like transcribing a meeting where if you miss a few points or there are errors, there won’t be any repercussions. The advantage of using transcription software is that you can enjoy peace of mind. In particular, you can get the job done with accuracy and speed. It removes the possibility of error that is evident with using some human transcriptionists.
Future Developments in AI
There has been some suggestion of using artificial intelligence for judicial decision making. Of course, a lot of case decisions are based upon precedent. In other words, the judge will consider facts and outcomes from previous cases to decide what the outcome will be in this case. Therefore, may believe that AI can make these decisions too and help to bring down caseloads facing a judge.
While this type of AI may still be being discussed, it’s interesting to note that other forms of artificial intelligence at a lower level are being used. For example, in Los Angeles Superior Court, AI is used to help with traffic citations. Gina is the online avatar and when somebody has a citation, they interact with this AI. This allows them to pay for their traffic ticket or sign up for traffic school. Gina can even schedule a court date. It’s believed that this example of AI has really helped with the backlog of cases that the court system was experiencing.
