POLICY · REGULATION · #2717
UK senior judge Geoffrey Vos says AI should decide some civil cases
As he nears retirement, Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls and senior judge in England’s civil system, told WIRED he uses Microsoft Copilot for document search and believes courts should consider using AI to decide low-value civil disputes; current UK guidance limits judicial AI use largely to administrative tasks. He cited a visit to Shenzhen where judges use heavy AI assistance, while acknowledging risks including AI hallucinations, misconduct by lawyers, and a rise in AI-generated claims.
KEY POINTS
- As he nears retirement, Geoffrey Vos, the Master of the Rolls and senior judge in England’s civil system, told WIRED he uses Microsoft Copilot for document search and believes courts should consider using AI to decide low-value civil disputes; current UK guidance limits judicial AI use largely to administrative tasks.
- He cited a visit to Shenzhen where judges use heavy AI assistance, while acknowledging risks including AI hallucinations, misconduct by lawyers, and a rise in AI-generated claims.
- Vos’s stance signals a possible shift toward formalizing AI use in courts, raising practical, ethical and regulatory questions about accuracy, fairness and access to justice.
WHY IT MATTERS
Vos’s stance signals a possible shift toward formalizing AI use in courts, raising practical, ethical and regulatory questions about accuracy, fairness and access to justice.