On 10 October 2025, the New York State Unified Court System issued formal guidelines governing the use of AI by judges and court employees. The rules prohibit AI from making legal determinations and require that all AI-generated material be fully reviewed by the responsible judge or staff member. The aim is to harness the technology while preserving judicial integrity and public trust.
The guidance specifies that AI cannot be used to process confidential or personally identifiable information and mandates verification of any references or sources provided in AI-generated text. It further clarifies that AI may serve only as a supplementary tool—for example, for language refinement or preliminary research—but must never substitute for human judgment. A court spokesperson confirmed that violations of these rules could trigger disciplinary action.
This regulatory step is significant, as the New York court system—the largest state judiciary in the United States, handling millions of cases annually—is the first to set comprehensive standards for AI use in judicial work. The move is likely to influence practices nationwide and underscores that AI integration in the justice system will only be accepted under strict oversight and accountability mechanisms.
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CPI
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Alex Clearfield
