May 22, 2023
By Morgiane Noel, Trinity College Dublin Artificial intelligence (AI) has become such a part of our daily lives that it's hard to avoid - even if we might not recognise it. While ChatGPT and the use of algorithms in social media get lots of attention, an important area where AI promises to have an impact is law. The idea of AI deciding guilt in legal proceedings may seem far-fetched, but it's one we now need to give serious consideration to. That's because it raises questions about the compatibility of AI with conducting fair trials. The EU has enacted legislation designed to govern how AI can and can't be used in criminal law. In North America, algorithms designed to support fair trials are already in use. These include Compas, the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) and the Pre-Trial Risk Assessment Instrument (PTRA). In November 2022, the House of Lords published a report which considered the use of AI technologies in the UK criminal justice system. On the one hand, it wo
