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Acting director: New Jersey courts exploring AI tools while warning of errors and cyberthreats
Summary
Michael Blee told senators the judiciary is piloting internal AI tools to help with administrative tasks and document summaries, has ethics and referral standards for inaccurate AI‑influenced filings, and is strengthening cybersecurity after recent attacks on court IT systems.
Michael Blee told the committee the judiciary is exploring artificial‑intelligence tools for internal efficiency while emphasizing the risks of inaccurate AI‑generated legal citations and the growing threat of cyberattacks.
Blee said the courts are piloting an internal AI tool intended to streamline tasks such as summarizing proceedings and supporting legal research while keeping final judgment and citation authority with judges and lawyers. He warned that attorneys who submit briefs containing inaccurate AI‑generated citations could face professional referral or sanctions; the judiciary and the Supreme Court’s ethics processes remain a backstop for ethical violations.
The nut graf: The judiciary is in an exploratory phase with AI, testing internal tools to support work, educating lawyers about ethical risks and preparing contingency plans to revert to paper filings in the event of a severe cyberattack.
Committee members asked how judges will handle AI‑influenced filings. Blee and assignment judges said the receiving judge will exercise discretion — some filings have been stricken or not considered when errors were flagged, and in many instances the opposing party first identified the problem and the matter was handled case‑by‑case. Blee also described an active cybersecurity posture: he said courts have responded to recent cyberattacks, sanitized systems, and in extreme scenarios would return to paper filings.
Ending: Blee said the judiciary will continue education for lawyers and judges on AI and will roll out internal tools carefully while maintaining cybersecurity and adherence to judicial ethics.
