China’s Supreme Court Allows AI to Hand Down Verdicts

China deployed artificial intelligence to “improve” the judiciary, to recommend verdicts, draft documents and warn of “potential human errors” in decisions. This is reported by South China Morning Post.

Under the ruling of SPC of the PRC, judges must consult with AI on every case. If they disagree with the machine’s recommendation, they must provide a written justification.

AI was also connected to police databases and China’s social credit system, enabling it to automatically impose penalties for violations.

According to authorities, the technology has made a “significant contribution to the development of the rule of law.” Critics say it risks creating a world in which humans are ruled by machines.

Professor Zhang Linhan of the Chinese University of Political Science and Law warned of the rapid rise in AI-related risks.

“People will gradually lose their free will as dependence on technology grows,” Zhang said.

She added that humanity should prepare for “the erosion of judicial authority” by technology companies.

China has been developing a smart court system since 2016, when the head of the SPC, Qian Zhou, urged using technology to enhance the “justice, efficiency and authority” of the legal system.

This meant introducing robot lawyers in courtrooms, automatic transcription systems with voice recognition and “virtual hearings” for remote case proceedings.

The Chinese authorities also established a specialized “Internet Court” dealing with online crime. This led to the creation of vast databases, into which information about all cases is uploaded—almost 100,000 a day.

AI was connected to the “Internet Court” to extract information from past rulings, enabling the system to locate precedents and suggest new verdicts.

Earlier in July, Chinese researchers described an algorithm that «reads the minds» of Communist Party members and determines their loyalty.

In June, Chinese authorities activated apps to track the spread of the coronavirus to suppress protests by defrauded investors.

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