Does Technology Hold a Future to Replace Human Court Reporters?

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Times have changed, and even the most stable enterprises have found themselves being wiped out by constant changes in technology. Court reporting is not an exemption. 


Few elements may replace the value of certified court reporters except robots and machines. Holding incomparable skills, and expertise, these professionals are uncelebrated champions of the judiciary.


Unlike other areas of proficiencies, the significance of human touch in court proceedings can’t easily be replaced. There is no tech advancement that is ever going to exceed the human ear.


It may reach a point where court reporting can be improved, or complemented by technology. Either way, there will never reach a point where certified court reporters will be replaced by machines because they won’t be able to provide services that correspond to the requirements of accurate transcription.


Well, it is true that automated machines are now part of the human world more than ever. We hear them when we are passing toll booths, or when we use the ATMs; thanking, and telling us to come again soon. 


However, these voice recordings and other significant tech does not have what it takes to replace human reporters. Here are some reasons to support this claim:

 

Human confidentiality

Humans cannot be hacked as it happens with machines sometimes. However, there are certain instances where a reporter could get compromised, and confide confidential information to others. 


The majority of reporters working in courts still have an understanding of what is needed of them, since they choose to honor the oath they took to keep all details they hear, or record, confidential.


However, with machines, or voice technology, it is possible that they can be hacked, and all confidential information exposed. This is because, sometimes machines require maintenance such as software updates, or hardware configurations. In some cases, these services are rendered by more than one person.

 

Glitches

Machines or robots can have glitches since they operate on central processing units (CPU) or the internet, which may result in glitches due to the system calibration, or other factors. Technology is never accurate.  They can backfire, or break down, costing a lot of money to fix, and this may delay all the processes in court. 


This is one good reason human reporters are highly beneficial in courtrooms. Unlike machines, or robots, which may sometimes have glitches, humans slow down only when they get sick, and when they do, they are still able to request permission to address their distress and resume their roles.

 

Availability of Transcripts

Machines are programmed in a way that they will be able to provide transcripts in any given format. Likewise, human reporters are also required to produce transcripts in various formats, which they always do.


In conclusion, machines can think in possibilities, and utilize learning prototypes to bring smart decisions. However, they do not have the wisdom needed to clarify decisions from all perspectives and make wise choices. 


On the other hand, people have wisdom, and they can think outside the box to solve an issue. Therefore, it is safe to say that it will never reach a point where robots will replace certified court reporters.

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