Florida Notary Public Updates

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we work—but when it comes to notarizations, there are limits to what technology can do.

Current artificial intelligence (AI) is dependent on information fed to it, or that it acquired from existing sources such as databases or APIs. That information can be written, or audible. 

AI also recognizes, identifies and even interprets humans’ “emotion related” behaviors gleaned (for example) from a person’s facial expressions or vocal inflections.  But can AI also draw conclusions from—and act on—those emotion-related behaviors?

Today, the answer is no.  AI does not yet possess traits of human empathy and understanding—such as consciousness, subjective feelings, and real-life experiences—that would allow it to accurately interpret and draw conclusions from perceived human behaviors.  Some experts even believe that AI will never reach that level of equivalence with a human being.

This is the very reason that a live notary public remains so essential to the integrity of document signings and other life events.

Like AI, a live notary public responds to information they perceive or have been given.  But unlike AI, a notary public is a living, breathing human whose own life experiences enable them to also interpret that information in an informed and empathetic way.  Current AI models might identify patterns in human behavior, but most experts seem to agree it’s not doing that proactively.  Artificial intelligence must be directed to do this, and still falls short of a notary’s ability to understand and relate to what the notary perceives in their interaction with a present individual.

A notary public must always feel assured that the individual present for the notarial act is acting under their own free will.  This means the individual is under no unwanted duress or pressure and, they know and comprehend the reason for the notarization and the effects of proceeding with it.

Thus a notary public, personally present with the individual requesting/receiving a notarial act, can reach reasonable conclusions about that person’s intentions and free will. 

A living, breathing notary also has a conscience that compels the notary to perform their duties competently and thoughtfully, with respect for the present individual.  By comparison, AI currently possesses no real self-awareness, feelings, or sensation of existing as a living organism.  Its ability to simulate these things is thanks to advanced modeling (observing and imitating others).

Notaries are also held accountable for their notarial acts and the decisions they made in performing them.  Under the state laws and administrative rules that govern them, notaries can be punished or at the least reprimanded when they fail to perform in full compliance with their governing laws and administrative rules.  Artificial intelligence as we know it today is still a machine that—unlike a human notary—is not morally accountable for its actions or mistakes.

But AI does provide benefits to today’s notaries public, especially those who understand that no tool, resource or alternative form of intelligence negates the notary’s responsibility to be personally informed and knowledgeable about the state laws and administrative rules they are required to follow.

Used appropriately, AI can enhance a notary’s personal time- and task-management through features such as auto-scheduling, document management and research and fact-verification. 

The notary must simply remember that, while AI is a groundbreaking tool, it will never replace the direct involvement of a living notary public in the performance of a notarial act.  Only the notary must personally and consistently perform the notarial-act steps and assessments that notary law and best practices require.