For years, courts have accepted cases presented by self-represented litigants. Now, these individuals have access to artificial intelligence, which is increasingly occupying court resources with their filings.

Donald Sauve, for instance, works on legal documents at a coffee shop in Mora, Minnesota. His complaint, submitted in Minnesota last year, is typical in federal courts across the nation. Legally, Mr. Sauve filed ‘pro se,’ which means he represented himself without a lawyer. He sued his ex-wife, her attorney, and a state judge who had previously dismissed one of his legal challenges as frivolous.

Initially, Mr. Sauve filed a handwritten lawsuit seeking $275,000, claiming unlawful deprivation of his home. Judge Jerry W. Blackwell dismissed the case within a month due to lack of jurisdiction.

Three months later, Mr. Sauve returned to court. This time, he used artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Claude. He filed a new, neatly typed document along with 50 additional filings, including a ‘case law synthesis.’ This synthesis was used to support his argument. In an interview, Mr. Sauve stated that AI offered him ‘the only path forward’ for his case. He emphasized the power of knowledge.

Federal judges and legal experts observe that filings similar to Mr. Sauve’s are inundating court dockets. These filings are further burdening an already overloaded system. AI enhances pro se litigation by making the legal system more accessible to those who might not afford legal representation otherwise.

Despite AI’s assistance, the result for Mr. Sauve remained unchanged. Two months after filing, Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of Minnesota’s Federal District Court dismissed his suit again. The 14-page opinion stated he had not sufficiently presented a claim.