A court reporter in Indiana submitted a transcript with mistakes likely caused by AI. The judge warned that human oversight is still essential. This incident highlights new risks for legal records as AI tools enter the courtroom.
Legal professionals and publishers relying on AI transcription tools face new scrutiny after a judge in Indiana identified AI-generated errors in an official court transcript. The incident underscores the importance of human review in workflows where accuracy is critical, especially for records that impact legal outcomes and public trust.
Judge Paul Felix, in a memorandum decision filed July 23, noted that a transcript from a criminal case contained several attribution mistakes. Motions and objections were incorrectly assigned to the wrong parties, and the State’s closing argument was misattributed to the trial court. Judge Felix stated that these errors appeared consistent with generative AI output and complicated the appellate review, though they did not prevent it.
The judge reminded the court reporter that the court depends on transcripts being true and accurate, emphasizing that anyone using AI systems must proofread and verify the final product. The footnote, first noticed by attorney Rob Freund, signals a shift in judicial attention from AI use by lawyers to its impact on official court records prepared by stenographers and court reporters.
While judges have previously reprimanded attorneys for submitting AI-generated filings with fabricated citations or case law, this is the first known instance of a court reporter being publicly called out for AI-related errors in a transcript. The development raises concerns about the reliability of official records when AI is used without sufficient human oversight.
Numerous apps and companies now offer AI-generated transcripts for court reporting, but professional stenographers argue that their expertise remains vital. Unlike AI, human transcribers can clarify ambiguities and ensure accuracy before information enters the legal record, a point highlighted by recent reporting from 404media.
