Why Not Artificial Intelligence In The Courtrooms?
In the modern rush to automate and digitize every aspect of human interaction, there is a growing temptation to let artificial intelligence (AI) replace human interpreters — even in the most delicate domains such as legal, medical, and social service settings. While AI tools have demonstrated impressive abilities in text generation and speech recognition, their use as a substitute for professional interpreters in legal contexts poses serious risks — not only technical, but deeply ethical, humanitarian, cultural, and linguistic.
At the heart of this issue lies language justice — the principle that every individual, regardless of their native language, has the right to be heard, understood, and treated equitably in all public systems. Justice cannot be achieved when meaning is distorted, intent is lost, or culture is flattened into statistical predictions.
The Complexity of the Human Voice
Interpreting is far more than word substitution. A skilled interpreter conveys tone, intention, emotion, and nuance — the layers that make communication truly human. In courtrooms, a single mistranslated phrase can alter the course of a case, impacting someone’s liberty, safety, or future. AI systems, no matter how advanced, do not “understand” meaning; they process probabilities. They cannot perceive irony, hesitation, trauma, or fear in a speaker’s voice. They cannot sense when silence holds more meaning than speech.
The Hidden Realities of Under-Resourced Languages
The majority of the world’s languages are under-resourced in the digital sphere. This means that there is little to no reliable bilingual data for AI to learn from. Speakers of these languages — often refugees, asylum seekers, and indigenous peoples — are precisely those most in need of access to justice and public services.
Many individuals do not speak a standardised written version of their language, and some may have never attended formal schooling. Their communication relies on oral traditions, regional expressions, gestures, and shared cultural understanding. A professional interpreter trained in both language and culture can navigate these complexities; AI cannot. Machines cannot recognize body language, social hierarchy, or the unspoken codes that guide respectful communication in many communities.
When Interpretation Becomes a Matter of Justice
In legal settings, interpreters are not merely conduits of words; they are guardians of comprehension and fairness. A trained interpreter knows when to pause and seek clarification to ensure that testimony is being understood accurately by all parties. This act — simple yet profound — upholds both judicial integrity and language justice.
By contrast, AI systems cannot interrupt to ask for clarification. They cannot signal confusion or cultural mismatch. They will produce an answer, even if it is entirely wrong — and they will do so with confidence. The result is not only linguistic distortion but potential miscarriage of justice.
Ethical and Human Dimensions
Professional interpreters operate under strict codes of ethics and confidentiality. They are bound by oaths to accuracy, impartiality, and accountability — values rooted in human conscience and empathy. Machines have no such moral compass. When errors occur, who bears responsibility? Who can be held accountable for the misunderstanding of a witness, the mistranslation of a legal right, or the loss of someone’s case because a nuance was misread by a machine?
Language Justice in the Age of AI
Technology can certainly assist human interpreters — through terminology databases, remote access tools, and transcription aids — but it should never replace them. True language access requires human judgment, cultural intelligence, and ethical awareness, all of which remain beyond the reach of AI.
To build a just society, we must recognize that language is not a technical problem to be solved, but a human relationship to be honoured. The interpreter’s work is not mechanical; it is moral. It is an act of listening across difference — of ensuring that every voice, no matter how small or unfamiliar, can be heard and understood.
Language justice demands nothing less.