China has been making rapid advancements in the technology field. And now, Chinese scientists have claimed that they have developed a machine that can charge people with crime using artificial intelligence. This is the world’s first such machine.
The AI “prosecutor” can charge people with over 97 per cent accuracy, the researchers further claimed, adding that it works on verbal description.
The machine was built and tested by the Shanghai Pudong People’s Procuratorate, the country’s largest and busiest district prosecution office, reported South China Morning Post.
Project’s lead scientist told local media that the machine has been created to reduce the current workload of prosecutors. “The system can replace prosecutors in the decision-making process to a certain extent,” Professor Shi Yong, the lead scientists of the project, was quoted as saying by one of the publications.
It can also identify “dissent” against the state, the researchers further claimed.
Explaining how the computer programme works, the scientists said that it can press charges based on 1,000 human-generated case description texts.
The machine received training for five years – from 2015 to 2020 – reported South Chia Morning Post. It was fed 17,000 cases and was able to identify and press charges for common crimes.
The cases given to the AI machine during training involved credit card frauds, gambling crimes, dangerous driving, theft and obstruction of official duties, according to South China Morning Post.
The researchers are now hoping that their machine can soon replace prosecutors in the “decision-making” process to certain extent. With more training, it will become perfect in recognising more types of cases and pressing charhes accordingly.
However, some prosecutors have raised concern about the new system, asking who will take responsibility in case of a mistake? Some of them also told local Chinese media that humans do not want computers interfering in their work.
Digital technology is being used extensively by law enforcement agencies around the world, but are limited to evaluation of evidence or in forensics. This is the first time that AI is being pushed in the decision-making process.