California courts cancel AI translation rollout after errors surface

From 2021 to April 2026, more than 30 California courts tested an AI voice-to-text tool to translate at public service counters. Legal aid groups obtained hundreds of pages of its transcripts through public records requests. Professional translators found errors across languages. DUI became IUD, and no contest became no competition. A restraining-order instruction came out garbled. In late August, the Judicial Council sought vendors for a statewide rollout. On October 15, it canceled the request. It cited evolving technology and said it would first review the service's accuracy. A legal aid lawyer warned that such errors could harm court users' livelihoods.