Quebec Superior Court has given the green light to a sandboxed pilot project that allows some twenty judges to use artificial intelligence to help them with documentary and legislative research, translations, and draft judgements, but the “avant-garde” endeavour draws the line at decision-making or deliberative undertakings, a conservative approach that has earned plaudits from legal observers.
“The advent of generative artificial intelligence tools represents a major transformation of the information and documentation landscape,” said Paul-Jean Charest, a spokesperson with Quebec Courts. “The Court deemed it preferable to address this development proactively and in a managed manner, rather than being subjected to it.”
The initiative, a surprise to even those in the Quebec legal community immersed in all things AI, is the latest effort by courts and tribunals around the world to turn to AI to address chronic problems like increasing case backlogs, rising workloads and a dearth of skilled court employees in the hope it will speed access to justice and improve administrative efficiency.
“If we weigh up the expected benefits against the risks in any given situation, I think it’s something that should go ahead because artificial intelligence is present in the legal field,” said Elhadji Niang, a Quebec City lawyer with Bouchard+Avocats who specializes in legal and regulatory compliance in information technology. “I am convinced that technology can serve the judiciary, and not the other way around. That being said, as with any approach, it must be supervised,” added Niang, a member of the Quebec Bar’s AI committee and this year’s recipient of the Quebec Bar Medal.