Pro Se Litigants Increase Court Filings with AI-Generated Documents, Raising Concerns
A study conducted by MIT researcher Anand Shah and USC researcher Joshua Levy has revealed a significant rise in the use of AI-generated text in legal filings by pro se litigants, or individuals representing themselves in court. According to the study, 18% of these filings now include AI-generated content. This increase has contributed to a 64% rise in the volume of pro se docket entries per court in the first 180 days of a case, compared to previous periods. The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, also notes that the national share of non-prisoner pro se filings rose from a historical average of 11% to 16.8% in fiscal year 2025. The New York Times highlighted concerns from Minnesota federal judge Patrick J. Schiltz, who described this trend as an 'existential threat to the federal courts.' Historically, pro se plaintiffs have lost 96% of their cases from 1998 to 2017.