WSJ Tech News Briefing The Chatbots Have Entered the Courtroom
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Jan 9, 2026 
Meghan Bobrowsky, a Journal reporter focused on technology and social media, shares insights on how Meta's Reels has evolved into a $50 billion powerhouse competing with TikTok and YouTube. She highlights key algorithm changes that boosted its growth. Meanwhile, Erin Mulvaney, who covers legal and technology issues, discusses the surprising trend of judges utilizing AI in courtrooms for tasks like document review, while balancing the need for human oversight and ethical considerations. Their discussion reveals a fascinating intersection of technology and law.
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Reels' Algorithmic Reinvention
- Reels grew into a $50B run-rate after Instagram rebuilt its recommendation algorithm to prioritize viewing behavior over follow relationships.
- Meta also pushed original creators and paid them to seed Reels until the format scaled into major ad revenue.
Instagram As An Entertainment Platform
- Meta reframed Instagram from a social network into an entertainment platform to compete with TikTok and YouTube.
- Instagram is testing Reels on TV devices as part of a strategy to become a shared viewing experience.
Use AI For Document Synthesis Only
- Judges use AI to review large document sets and synthesize laws and arguments, not to issue rulings outright.
- Use AI for routine efficiency gains like drafting hearing questions or summarizing records while keeping human oversight.