Court Leader's Advantage

Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast EpisodeFebruary 17th, 2026Alaska 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 A