To explain rulings coming down from the bench, the Arizona Supreme Court will soon have two new spokespeople to deliver the news: Victoria and Daniel, AI-generated court news reporters.
While a court in Florida uses an animated chatbot to help visitors navigate its website, it is believed to be the first time a United States court has used artificial intelligence technology to build human-like characters to interact with the public, according to the Associated Press. Officials with the Arizona Supreme Court said they hope that using AI will promote trust and confidence in the judicial system.
“We serve the public better by saying, OK, we’ve issued this decision,” Chief Arizona Justice Ann Timmer said. “Now, let us help you understand what it is.”
Timmer, who was appointed to the court by former Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ), took over as chief last summer. She has tried to make public trust a key pillar in her new position.
Victoria and Daniel will be featured in videos posted for every ruling by the high court to explain cases, decisions, and opinions.
Timmer explained that after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled last year that an 1849 law banning all abortions in the state was enforceable, she solidified her idea that the court needs to evolve as people learn about opinions and what they mean.
The ruling led to demands that two justices be recalled, after they voted in support of enforcing the Civil War era law. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) and the state’s Republican-controlled legislature voted to repeal the ban after a few failed attempts reverted the state to a 2022 15-week ban. That 2022 law has since been blocked after voters approved an amendment enshrining abortion rights in the Arizona Constitution.
“We got a lot of backlash for it and probably deservedly so, in terms of how can we complain that people don’t understand what we did when we didn’t really do enough to give a simplified version,” she said.
Timmer told the Associated Press that if the Arizona Supreme Court was to do the abortion ruling over again, it would have approached the dissemination of information differently.
ARIZONA’S 15-WEEK ABORTION BAN BLOCKED FOLLOWING VOTER REFERENDUM
Alberto Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the state’s high court, said that the justice who authors the legal opinion will also draft a news release, the wording of which must be approved by the entire bench. The justice will then work with the court’s communications team to craft a script for the avatars. Rodriguez noted that the avatars will not be interpreting original court decisions or opinions.
Rodriquez also noted that the names and physical appearances of Victoria and Daniel were made to represent a cross-section of the population. He said the Arizona Supreme Court is also experimenting with different emotional deliveries of rulings, cadences, pronunciations, and Spanish translations.