Courts at the Crossroads: How A.I. is Solving Justice's Operational Hurdles

The recently released Thomson Reuters Institute and NCSC's 2025 Survey reveals an overburdened system facing unprecedented pressures. 68% of courts experienced staff shortages over the past 12 months, with State courts bearing the heaviest burden at 71%. Looking ahead, 61% still expect shortages in the coming year.

But here's the surprising twist: despite these staffing challenges, courts are actually becoming more efficient. The data shows remarkable resilience, with courts reporting:

• 45% managing higher caseloads

• 39% dealing with more complex issues

• 38% addressing a variety of cases

  
  

This efficiency gain isn't accidental—it's the direct result of strategic technology adoption.

A.I.: From Recognition to Reality

The survey reveals a fascinating paradox in how courts view artificial intelligence. While 55% of respondentsrated A.I. as having transformational impact over the next five years, only 17% of courts currently use generative A.I.. Another 17% plan to adopt it within the next year.

While generative A.I. offers powerful capabilities, it carries more risk than purpose-built models, such as ARSConnect. These domain-specific models are trained exclusively on relevant knowledge, with built-in guardrails—a critical consideration for court environments where precision is paramount.

The projected benefits of implementing A.I. tools are compelling. Courts anticipate significant time savings from A.I. implementation:

• 2.8 hours per week saved in the first year

• 5.8 hours per week saved within three years

• 8.8 hours per week saved within five years

That final number represents more than a full workday saved per employee each week—a game-changing efficiency gain.

Targeting the Pain Points

A.I. adoption strategically addresses courts' biggest operational challenges. The survey identifies entering and updating data in court management systems as both the most error-prone task and the second-most inefficient task courts face today.

This represents exactly where A.I. excels. Consider the broader impact:

• 77% of courts encounter delays of 15 minutes or more weekly

• 40% reporting delays that affect more than 10% of hearings

The Human Element

The survey reveals a critical insight: tasks that stress staff the most also inconvenience court users the most. Activities like answering routine questions and scheduling cases ranked above average in both categories.

Modern A.I.-powered solutions (like ARS’ SANDI chatbot or our Hardtech Kiosks) can handle routine inquiries through self-service options, freeing staff to focus on complex legal matters while improving the user experience and enhancing access to justice.

The Implementation Gap

Despite recognizing A.I.'s potential, 70% of courts don't allow employees to use A.I.-based tools for court business, and 75% haven't provided A.I. training. This represents both a significant challenge and an enormous opportunity.

A.I. is not an “up and coming” technology to transform justice delivery.  It is viable today and will be very helpful to those courts who take steps to embrace this powerful new toolset.

Data cited from: Thomson Reuters Institute & National Center for State Courts. "Staffing, Operations and Technology: A 2025 survey of State Courts." 2025.