30 May 2025
Today, I have launched a survey to the legal profession about the use of generative AI in the South Australian courts.
Generative AI (‘Gen AI’) is quickly becoming an everyday feature of modern life. The opportunities that it presents to lawyers and litigants are significant, but so too are the challenges.
It is vital that the courts of this State understand how Gen AI is being used now, and how it might be used in the future. The Courts must plan for its potential uses by litigants and by the Courts. The Courts must adapt their practices and procedures to harness the benefits of AI where appropriate and to restrict its use where necessary. Those rules must be both clear and workable.
A committee of judicial officers and other stakeholders is considering how the Courts might respond. What is now required is the input of the broader profession.
I strongly encourage all legal practitioners of this State to participate in the survey, even if they are presently unfamiliar with Gen AI in their day-to-day practice.
The survey will be open to legal practitioners from Friday, 30 May 2025 for a period of three weeks.
I also invite submissions from professional bodies, employers and any interested individuals. Interviews and discussions will be held with members of the profession with an interest in this area and its future development.
Any person or body wishing to make a written submission addressing whether, and if so how, the State courts might respond to the use of Gen AI in connection with litigation are invited to provide a submission to AI_submissions@courts.sa.gov.au by 30 June 2025.
It is proposed that a number of lunch time interviews and informal discussions will be held for legal practitioners at times to be arranged after 23 June 2025. If you are interested in participating in one of these sessions, please advise AI_submissions@courts.sa.gov.au of your interest by Wednesday, 11 June 2025.
The Honourable Chris Kourakis
Chief Justice of South Australia