Court reporters and simultaneous captioners

Provide copies of transcripts and recordings to parties involved

Distributing digital copies of transcripts and recordings is a straightforward file management and delivery task. Automated systems can handle permissions, formatting, delivery tracking, and distribution with minimal human involvement beyond initial setup.

BLS evidence: Court reporters and simultaneous captioners provide copies of transcripts and recordings to the parties involved.

Read or play back portions of proceedings upon request

AI systems can instantly search, index, and retrieve specific portions of proceedings from transcripts or timestamped recordings. This is a straightforward information retrieval task that modern search and playback systems handle better than humans.

BLS evidence: Court reporters and simultaneous captioners read or play back portions of events or legal proceedings upon request.

Provide real-time transcription for television broadcasts or live events as closed captions

Real-time captioning AI is already deployed at scale by YouTube, Zoom, and broadcast networks. Systems can generate synchronized captions with minimal latency, though human captioners still handle high-stakes live broadcasts for quality assurance.

BLS evidence: Broadcast captioners provide transcriptions for television programs (called closed captions) and some may transcribe dialogue in real time during broadcasts.

Capture spoken dialogue using stenography machines, steno masks, or digital recording devices

Modern speech-to-text AI (Whisper, commercial ASR systems) can capture spoken dialogue with high accuracy in controlled courtroom environments. Stenography machines are being replaced by AI transcription in many contexts, though human verification remains common for legal certainty.

BLS evidence: Court reporters and simultaneous captioners use different methods for recording speech, such as stenotype machines, steno masks, and digital recording devices.

Index and catalog exhibits used during legal proceedings

Indexing and cataloging exhibits is a structured data management task well-suited to AI. Document AI can extract exhibit numbers, descriptions, and metadata, then organize them systematically. This is similar to automated document management systems already in wide use.

BLS evidence: Court reporters also index and catalog exhibits used during legal proceedings.

Create word-for-word transcriptions of trials, depositions, hearings, and legal proceedings

AI transcription systems can produce word-for-word transcripts of legal proceedings with accuracy approaching human stenographers, especially with speaker diarization. Human review is still standard for legal proceedings due to stakes, but the core transcription work is highly automatable.

BLS evidence: Court reporters create word-for-word transcriptions at trials, depositions, administrative hearings, and other legal proceedings.

Review and edit notes for accuracy, including spelling of names and technical terminology

AI can perform automated spell-checking, identify technical terminology using domain-specific models, and flag potential errors. Large language models can verify names against case documents and suggest corrections, though human review remains important for legal accuracy and context-specific terminology.

BLS evidence: Court reporters and simultaneous captioners review notes they have taken, including the spelling of names and technical terminology.

Report speakers' identification, gestures, and actions during proceedings

While AI can identify speakers through voice recognition and potentially detect some gestures via video analysis, accurately capturing and contextualizing non-verbal actions, identifying speakers in multi-party settings, and noting legally significant gestures requires human judgment and presence in the room.

BLS evidence: Court reporters and simultaneous captioners typically report speakers' identification, gestures, and actions.

Ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements or testimony

This requires real-time human interaction in a formal legal setting, including social judgment about when to interrupt, authority to request clarification, and the ability to negotiate meaning with speakers. AI cannot physically interrupt proceedings or exercise the interpersonal judgment required.

BLS evidence: Court reporters and simultaneous captioners ask speakers to clarify inaudible statements or testimony.