In the not-so-distant future, you might step into a courtroom where the judge sits motionless behind the bench. Not stopped by gravity, but made of metal and circuitry – an AI judge without emotion or bias. Welcome to the new order of things!
AI takes the field
While robots may soon take their place on the legal high bench, AI is already on its way to refereeing in the world of sport. Within a few years, we could see fully automated VAR systems solving offside discussions and refereeing errors in football.
The experts in FIFA use highly trained AI models to analyse every situation in matches and make the correct decision immediately. In their mind this puts an end to all discussion and grumbling about refereeing judgements and helps to predict the results of games more precisely at betting apps like Hollywoodbets mobile you can download through the guide at the link.
But football fans are already annoyed. As they think, it ruins the whole passionate debate and sense of powerlessness that is such a central part of the experience. From their words on forums, if you take away the discussion about whether the VAR call was right, you take most of the soul out of the sport.
If nothing else, the advent of AI referees in football will cut down on frustration on both sides. Reputable experts also believe that it will reduce the amount of yellow and red cards as players can no longer charm the human referees.
Maybe some of us are just disgusted by the thought of ice-cold machines suddenly deciding the realisation of your wet dream scenes on the pitch. If you then hear Skynet blow the whistle for a free kick, the future of football is truly terrifying!
Do we need to argue about the introduction of AI judges?
Artificial intelligence is increasingly intervening in areas barely imagined a few years ago. Soon, robots could help determine your guilt or innocence. For proponents, it’s a marvellous technological breakthrough, while opponents are gloomy.
AI will usher in a new era for the justice system, since machines can process huge amounts of data objectively and make incredibly smart decisions.
But is it wise to leave important decisions to machines? There is a risk of completely undermining the values of the rule of law. AI systems are essentially unreliable and opaque black boxes.
Will human judgement become redundant?
Another concern is whether AI judges will actually make independent judgements. Or will they simply process input and deliver output along the lines of: “Tell me the facts and I’ll read one of the sections of the law to you”?
To be fair, AI systems with actual legal reasoning and judgement need to be developed. They shouldn’t just be software versions of the good old Law Book. Before that can happen, the AI must master that kind of highly complex, authentic human thinking.
But won’t the AI just mirror the kind of judgement and ethical considerations that human programmers and lawyers put into it? Then we risk ending up with a system that perpetuates the existing state of affairs and legal practices. That doesn’t sound revolutionary.
Just an echo of past case law?
Maybe AI judges need to be more than just an echo of the past? Machine predicts that they will start thinking in new and surprising ways. Eventually, their interpretations of the law and precedents will surpass what we humans can achieve.
AI systems can uncover deeper patterns and exercise creative, intuitive judgement in a radically new way. This will allow jurisprudence to evolve in an unprecedented direction.
If we switch to AI judges, it will certainly mark a grumpy future for legal longevity. You risk being judged far more quickly and efficiently in the hallowed halls of future courts by automatons. But is it it bad?
The judges’ new clothes
Perhaps completely new legislation adapted to the inner life and behaviour of AI judges will even be required. Otherwise, their decisions could end up as judicial mirage that no one can follow in terms of evidence.
Regardless of positions and arguments, one thing seems certain: Our perception of justice and the courts themselves are heading into an uncertain, unknown future. Perhaps you should start mentally preparing now to receive your next judgement from the Terminator?
