Will AI replace court reporters?
Updated
Court reporters score 60 of 100 for AI exposure. AI can already do 46% of their task time. Another 41% gets faster with AI, and 13% still needs a person.
- 46% AI can do it
- 41% AI helps
- 13% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 91% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 14 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 6 of them today, speeds up 6 and leaves 2 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Proofread transcripts for correct spelling of words. Spellcheck and language models catch spelling errors quickly. | 80% AI can do it |
| Transcribe recorded proceedings in accordance with established formats. ASR and language models draft formatted transcripts; reporter reviews output. | 70% AI can do it |
| Type court orders for judges. Drafting orders from dictated rulings is largely routine writing work. | 70% AI can do it |
| Provide transcripts of proceedings upon request of judges, lawyers, or the public. Ordering and delivering transcripts is mostly routine software work. | 65% AI can do it |
| File and store shorthand notes of court session. Filing and storing digital notes is routine data management work. | 65% AI can do it |
| File a legible transcript of records of a court case with the court clerk's office. Electronic filing of transcripts is largely automated submission work. | 60% AI can do it |
| Record symbols on computer storage media and use computer aided transcription to translate and display them as text. Software translates steno strokes to text, but the reporter still writes. | 55% AI helps |
| Verify accuracy of transcripts by checking copies against original records of proceedings and accuracy of rulings by checking with judges. Text comparison is easy to automate, but judge checks need people. | 45% AI helps |
| Respond to requests during court sessions to read portions of the proceedings already recorded. Playing back recorded testimony is simple, but live requests need staff. | 35% AI helps |
| Record verbatim proceedings of courts, legislative assemblies, committee meetings, and other proceedings, using computerized recording equipment, electronic stenograph machines, or stenomasks. Live capture needs stenographer, but AI transcription assists recordings. | 30% AI helps |
Show the other 4 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Log and store exhibits from court proceedings. Logging digital exhibits is automatable, but physical handling stays human. | 30% AI helps |
| Record depositions and other proceedings for attorneys. Depositions need live capture, though AI aids transcript preparation afterward. | 25% AI helps |
| Take notes in shorthand or use a stenotype or shorthand machine that prints letters on a paper tape. Live stenotype chording is a manual skill AI has yet to replace. | 20% Needs a person |
| Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements. Asking speakers during proceedings needs live human judgment. | 10% Needs a person |
How court reporters compare
All occupations (923)
Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media (40)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $72,420 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 12,870 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -0.1% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Hold the NCRA Registered Professional Reporter credential
- Record live depositions on a stenotype machine
- Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements on the record
- Correct ASR drafts against your steno notes in Total Eclipse
- Caption live broadcasts in Cheetah SmartCAT
- Log physical exhibits and keep chain of custody records
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about court reporters and AI
Will court reporters be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 5 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly proofreading transcripts for spelling and transcribing recordings into formatted drafts. What stays with people is live capture in the room, judgment calls on unclear speech, and the signed certification of the record.
Which tasks of court reporters is AI taking over?
Proofreading transcripts for spelling comes first, at exposure 80, since spellcheck and language models catch errors quickly. Transcribing recorded proceedings into set formats follows at exposure 70, because ASR and language models draft the page for review. Typing court orders from dictated rulings is also routine, at exposure 70, since drafting from dictation is largely writing work.
Which tasks of court reporters stay human?
Asking speakers to clarify inaudible statements stays human, with an exposure score of 10, because it needs live judgment on the record. Taking shorthand on a stenotype stays human at exposure 20, since live chording is a manual skill AI has yet to replace.
How can court reporters stay valuable as AI spreads?
Hold the NCRA Registered Professional Reporter credential and keep live stenotype speed on depositions. Correct ASR drafts against your steno notes in Total Eclipse, so you take responsibility for the accuracy check. Move into stenocaptioning in Cheetah SmartCAT for live broadcast work. Keep exhibit logs and chain of custody records, since physical handling stays human.
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