Court reporters play a vital role in the court system, and like everything else, COVID-19 has put pressure on transcription services to move towards digital or artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Impact
Video platforms and AI technology have emerged as two solutions to address both the shortage of court reporters and the need for social distancing. During these times, the legal community faces concerns over the validity and certifiable accuracy of the record, as well as ensuring the confidentiality and privacy of the record’s contents throughout the chain of custody.
Legal professionals are worried about whether AI transcription can be as accurate as traditional court reporters. One such AI service uses advanced software to identify legal terms and cancels out factors that reduce audio quality. These transcripts are also reviewed and edited by professionals to ensure the quality of the transcription.
However, traditional court reporters are often better equipped to handle problems during a legal proceeding. For example, they will stop to clarify spelling, advise deponent that their answer was inaudible, or clarify noises the deponent uttered. Furthermore, traditional court reporters will sometimes have to identify and notate difficult speech through context clues.
The article concludes by quoting Karen Renee, president of eCourt Reporters in Burlington, Wisconsin, who states that she is more comfortable with a human court reporter at the time being, but that AI could be used as technology improves.
Read more on the ethical issues of replacing human court reporters with AI here.
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