AVA and the Courts: What Can We Learn from Alaska’s Bold Experiment with Artificial Intelligence?

About this episode

The episode explores Alaska's implementation of the Alaska Virtual Assistant (AVA) in the probate court system and the lessons learned from this initiative.

Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode February 17th, 2026 Alaska has quietly become a brave path-finder incourt-based artificial intelligence. Last month, the state released the Alaska Virtual Assistant (AVA), an AI chatbot designed to help court users navigate the probate court system. The path to launch, however, was anything but smooth.Delays piled up, expectations collided with reality, and media coverage has been more skeptical than supportive. So, what actually happened behind the scenes? This month, we sit down with Alaska’s court leaders to explore their bold new initiative, AVA, an innovative tool designed to help court users navigate the complexities of probate. We look beyond the headlines to examine what Alaskalearned from launching AI in the courts, the challenges they encountered, and the lessons every court should consider before embarking on a similar journey. Today’s Moderator Roger Rand, Technology Manager, Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland, Oregon, Current Vice President, National Association for Court Management. Today’s Panel Jeannie Sato, Director of Access to Justice Services, Alaska State Court System, Aubrie Souza, Principal Court Management…

People in this episode

Guests: Jeannie Sato, Aubrie Souza, Tom Martin

Topics covered

• artificial intelligence
• court systems
• probate court
• access to justice

Keywords

• Alaska Virtual Assistant
• court technology
• AI in courts

Mentioned in this episode

Products: the Alaska Virtual Assistant (AVA, AVA, Alaska Virtual Assistant

Places: Alaska, Portland, Oregon

More episodes of Court Leader's Advantage

• The Disappearing Line: What are the New Ethics in an Era Where Nothing Is Neutral? · June 1, 2026 · 23 min
• Court Leader's Advantage 5/19/2026 Episode - Do We Need to Rethink Public Outreach? · May 18, 2026 · 30 min
• Court Leader's Advantage 4/21/2026 Episode: NACM Midyear: What Was Your Biggest Takeaway? · April 20, 2026 · 22 min
• The Upskill Battle: Courts and Employee Career Development · March 16, 2026 · 27 min
• Reimagining Access to Justice: Should Courts Go More into the Community? · February 28, 2026 · 27 min
• Workplace Mediation: Can It Change the Way We Handle Conflict? What Courts Need to Know · January 19, 2026 · 30 min