New York courts adopt AI use policy

New York state court officials have announced a new policy on the use of artificial intelligence in the state court system.

The Interim Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence, developed by a committee formed in April 2024 by Chief Administrative Judge Joseph A. Zayas provides guiding principles for the responsible and ethical use of AI.

The policy remains subject to revision so that it aligns with operational needs, legislation, regulation, and public policy, according to state court officials.

The policy applies to all judges, justices, and nonjudicial employees, and all court system owned devices or any court system work performed on any device.

The policy establishes “guardrails to ensure fairness, accountability, and security in the use of AI, particularly the use of generative AI, which can generate human-like text or other content in response to user prompts,” officials wrote in a news release.

The policy mandates ongoing AI training for all judges and nonjudicial employees with computer access.

The policy underscores the need to carefully review all content produced by generative AI to ensure that all information is accurate, and all language is inclusive and respectful, officials said.

The Interim Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence is available online here.