Overview
- Federal courts report a sharp rise in self-represented, or pro se, filings that use generative AI to produce multi-page complaints and dozens of attachments.
- A not-yet-peer-reviewed study found the non-prisoner share of pro se civil filings rose to 16.8% in 2025 and that over 18% of pro se complaints were flagged as likely AI-generated by 2026.
- Court staff in Minnesota reported about a 50% uptick in non-prisoner pro se filings beginning around March 2025, and the study says docket activity in the first 180 days of cases grew roughly 64% on average in the post-AI period.
- Judges say the filings often include fabricated case law, bogus citations, or boilerplate that lacks legal merit, producing extra clerical work, frequent dismissals, and orders limiting future filings in specific cases.
- The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is collecting information and some courts have issued standing orders warning that improper use of generative AI can bring penalties, leaving courts to weigh access-to-justice benefits against growing resource strain.