What happened
The Supreme Court of Japan has included about ¥60 million in its fiscal 2027 budget request for AI-related expenses, marking the first such request. A demonstration test will use records of settled lawsuits, with judges inputting documents into an AI system to create rough drafts of summaries and lists of points of contention.
Why it matters
A test by six midcareer judges from the Tokyo and Osaka district courts in January and February this year found that while AI could help create summaries and organize points of contention, it could also reinforce judges' biases by omitting important facts and providing plausible yet incorrect answers. The group concluded AI should be positioned as an assistant to judges.
What to watch
Masayuki Nagata, a senior official at the Supreme Court's digital policy planning office, said using AI is expected to streamline and shorten trials further. The court hopes to present the results of the demonstration test within the next fiscal year.
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This budget request marks the first time the Supreme Court has allocated funds specifically for AI use, signaling a concrete step toward integrating the technology into judicial processes. The earlier test by midcareer judges, conducted on mock trial records, revealed a dual nature of AI: it can streamline tasks like summarizing and organizing, but it also risks reinforcing existing biases by omitting crucial information or generating plausible but incorrect answers. This finding led the group to conclude that AI should serve strictly as an assistant, not a replacement, for judges.
The move comes as prolonged civil trials have become a growing problem, and the official in charge expressed hope that AI will help streamline and shorten proceedings. The budget request also includes about ¥38.7 billion for the broader digitalization of trial procedures, covering criminal and domestic cases, which suggests AI is part of a larger push to modernize the judiciary. The demonstration test will rely on records of settled lawsuits, and a system to prevent leakage of personal information and trade secrets is also planned, indicating attention to the sensitive nature of court data.
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