Court Reporting: Example Of An Irreplaceable Profession

There are certain jobs that will just not go away. Despite advances in automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and other hi-tech innovations, some people never have to worry about being out of work.

One perfect example of an irreplaceable job is court reporting. Now, not everyone would agree with that declaration. Plenty of folks think tape recording devices can do the job just as well. Just set the recorder, then hand copy all the information later. No need to have court reporters sitting in on depositions, trials, and other litigations, they believe.

Fortunately, for anyone planning to become a court reporter, the future is brighter than these naysayers think. Here are some important reasons why.

AI Not as Good as Believed

Anyone who has tried to use voice control on a computer or smartphone knows how difficult it is to get these things to work. The machines just cannot understand human voices.

There have actually been research tests pitting human translators against sophisticated artificial intelligence translation systems. The machines, for example, cannot understand human song lyrics. Meanwhile, people have a natural ability to understand one another because hearing and listening depend on more than just the ears. They require feeling the emotion and understanding human experience.

Ambient Noises Confuse Machines

A court room is never totally quiet. Someone is always coughing. A door is always opening. And, a machine cannot tell the difference, at times, between these ambient noises and human voices. The result is inaccurate translations.

Moreover, when a door slams and something really important has just been said, the court reporter has a duty to ask that the speaker repeat. No machine has the ability to decide when such a decision to interrupt the proceedings must be made.

People Make Better Decisions

Last, but not least, people are at the heart of the American judicial system. If the courts replace court reporters with machines, then why not do the same with judges? After all, judicial decisions are supposedly unbiased. Program a machine to make the "right" choices and the legal system will work smoothly, right? Of course not. Similarly, having a machine make crucial choices about what has been said in a trial or deposition could cause injustice to the parties in a lawsuit.

As shown above, court reporting services are here to stay. As long as the public wants a fair and just legal system, the need for people to transcribe litigation proceedings will remain. For more information, contact local professionals like Farrell Court Reporting.