Artificial intelligence can help courts conduct research, prepare drafts and manage records, but it should never be allowed to decide cases, Supreme Court senior associate justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen said Thursday.

Speaking during a forum on digitalization and artificial intelligence in the judiciary, Leonen stressed that AI should remain a tool for judges — not a substitute for judicial decision-making.

“A machine may assist in research, scheduling, drafting and analytics, but it may never adjudicate,” Leonen said.

At present, the only AI-powered application authorized for use in the judiciary is Scriptix, a voice-to-text transcription system. Leonen said any additional AI tools would require approval from the Supreme Court en banc.

The forum gathered judges, clerks of court, legal researchers and court stenographers from the Cordillera region to discuss the proper use of AI under the Judiciary’s AI Governance Framework, which the Supreme Court approved in February.

Leonen, who headed the working group that drafted the framework, cautioned against overreliance on generative AI despite its ability to produce polished legal writing.

“An automated system may generate flawless legal prose and replicate a judge’s writing style, but it understands nothing of the law it invokes, the suffering it adjudicates or the stakes it decides,” he said.

He also warned against AI “hallucinations,” or fabricated information that appears convincing but is false.

“A recommendation on sentencing or bail substitutes prediction for judgment and dresses the bias of the past in the robe of neutral science,” Leonen said.

“The machine cannot grasp the suffering behind a case, the credibility reflected in a witness’ silence, or the justice that a mere technicality may defeat.”

Leonen said the judiciary should continue embracing digitalization to address delays, improve access to courts and reduce administrative burdens.

He said technologies such as electronic filing, online hearings and digital court records can make justice more accessible, particularly for litigants who would otherwise face costly travel.