There is no escaping the rise of the machine—in particular, the rise of machine learning. Its impact and use is being discussed and developed by lawyers, their clients and even the judiciary. Artificial intelligence (AI) is clearly here to stay—but does it represent an opportunity or a challenge?
AI champions
The litigation landscape is varied in this respect. Senior members of the judiciary have consistently championed the integration of AI into our court system. In a speech in February 2025, the Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, repeated his commitment to the Digital Justice System, which he hopes will allow ‘millions of disputes to be resolved online, using AI where appropriate, without the need for those disputes to enter the more expensive and time-consuming court process’.
Lord Justice Birss, the newly appointed Chancellor of the High Court (and chair of the working group on the use of AI in court documents) has expressed similar enthusiasm, describing ChatGPT as ‘jolly
