Bundessozialgericht warns of judicial blockade from AI filings

Christine Fuchsloch, President of the Federal Social Court (Bundessozialgericht), has warned of a potential blockade within the German judiciary due to a massive surge in AI-generated legal filings. While AI lowers the barrier for citizens to access legal recourse, the quality of these documents is often problematic. Fuchsloch noted that AI-produced briefs are frequently excessively long, disorganized, and contain citations of invented, irrelevant, or outdated court decisions.

The impact is most severe in emergency proceedings (Eilverfahren), which take priority over standard cases. In many German federal states, the number of such emergency filings increased by approximately 50 percent in 2025, with even higher growth projected for 2026. This surge threatens to delay main proceedings and undermine the overall functionality of the social courts. Social courts are particularly vulnerable because, unlike many other legal venues, filing lawsuits there generally carries no financial risk for the claimant.