As courts consider whether and how to use AI-assisted transcription, they face questions about accuracy, human oversight, confidentiality, and the status of AI-generated text within the court record. To help court leaders address these questions, the National Center for State Court’s Joint Technology Committee (JTC) has released a new resource bulletin, “AI-Assisted Transcription in Courts: Governance, Use, and Safeguards.”
The bulletin provides practical guidance on assessing potential uses of AI-assisted transcription, establishing policies and safeguards, and determining the level of human review appropriate to each transcript’s intended purpose.
“Identifying the problem a court wants to solve can help guide decisions about whether and how to use AI-assisted transcription,” said Paul DeLosh, JTC co-chair and director of judicial services at the Supreme Court of Virginia. “This bulletin helps court leaders consider how the technology might fit their court’s needs while protecting confidential information, providing appropriate human review, and maintaining clear distinctions between an AI-generated draft and the official record.”
Highlights from the bulletin include:
• Guidance for defining the status of the original recording, AI-generated draft text, reviewed transcripts, and the official record.
• Recommendations for testing accuracy on recordings that reflect actual courtroom conditions, including overlapping speech, interpretation, multiple languages, and poor audio quality.
• Human review considerations for transcripts that may be filed, certified, cited, distributed externally, or used in appellate proceedings.
• Governance and procurement considerations addressing confidentiality, data security, vendor practices, staff training, and ongoing oversight.
• A phased approach to assessing potential uses, conducting pilots, developing policy, and expanding deployment where the results support it.
The bulletin emphasizes that AI-generated text should generally be treated as an unofficial draft unless it has been reviewed and approved under applicable law, court rule, or policy. It also includes examples of emerging practices in courts and related adjudicative settings.
The JTC is a collaboration of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), NCSC, and the National Association for Court Management (NACM).
To read the bulletin and explore related guidance, visit www.ncsc.org/our-centers-pro jects/joint-technology-committee/jtc-resources.
The bulletin provides practical guidance on assessing potential uses of AI-assisted transcription, establishing policies and safeguards, and determining the level of human review appropriate to each transcript’s intended purpose.
“Identifying the problem a court wants to solve can help guide decisions about whether and how to use AI-assisted transcription,” said Paul DeLosh, JTC co-chair and director of judicial services at the Supreme Court of Virginia. “This bulletin helps court leaders consider how the technology might fit their court’s needs while protecting confidential information, providing appropriate human review, and maintaining clear distinctions between an AI-generated draft and the official record.”
Highlights from the bulletin include:
• Guidance for defining the status of the original recording, AI-generated draft text, reviewed transcripts, and the official record.
• Recommendations for testing accuracy on recordings that reflect actual courtroom conditions, including overlapping speech, interpretation, multiple languages, and poor audio quality.
• Human review considerations for transcripts that may be filed, certified, cited, distributed externally, or used in appellate proceedings.
• Governance and procurement considerations addressing confidentiality, data security, vendor practices, staff training, and ongoing oversight.
• A phased approach to assessing potential uses, conducting pilots, developing policy, and expanding deployment where the results support it.
The bulletin emphasizes that AI-generated text should generally be treated as an unofficial draft unless it has been reviewed and approved under applicable law, court rule, or policy. It also includes examples of emerging practices in courts and related adjudicative settings.
The JTC is a collaboration of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), NCSC, and the National Association for Court Management (NACM).
To read the bulletin and explore related guidance, visit www.ncsc.org/our-centers-pro jects/joint-technology-committee/jtc-resources.
