INTRODUCTION
AI has revolutionized fields like healthcare and finance, tackling problems we never thought machines could handle. But when it comes to the legal system, things get a bit trickier. Legal decisions aren’t just about logic and data—they involve people, emotions, and ethics. Despite these complexities, AI does offer some exciting possibilities. However, judges having access to predictive analysis based on past cases or being able to compare similar judgments to make better-informed decisions. These tools could lead to more consistent and fair outcomes in future cases.
Lyria Bennett Moses, in her work Artificial Intelligence and the Law: An Introduction, sees AI as a way to streamline legal processes and make them more efficient. However, she points out a big problem: AI often learns from historical data, and that data can carry all sorts of hidden biases. Andrew Selbst takes this a step further, arguing that AI doesn’t just mirror reality—it magnifies the biases in its training data. That’s especially worrying in areas like criminal sentencing, where an unfair decision can have life-altering consequences. Selbst warns that AI needs constant oversight to prevent these risks and suggests that judges and lawyers might trust AI too much, without fully understanding its flaws.
This over-reliance on AI gets even more dangerous when bias in data leads to unfair decisions. For example, if the system has been trained on biased sentencing data, it might recommend harsher penalties for certain groups. If judges take those recommendations at face value, it could perpetuate systemic injustice. The danger lies in becoming so data-focused that we forget the human side of the legal system—the people involved, their emotions, and the broader context of their lives.
This is especially true in cases that are deeply personal, like family disputes. AI simply can’t grasp the emotional complexities of a custody battle or a divorce case. It lacks empathy—the ability to see beyond the facts and numbers and into the human heart of a situation. This is why we can’t afford to let AI take over entirely. Instead, we need it to act as a tool, something that complements human intelligence rather than replacing it.
For AI to truly benefit the legal system, it needs to be transparent, accountable, and subject to strict ethical guidelines. Most importantly, it should support justice, not just churn out data-driven decisions. As we explore the role of AI in the courtroom, one critical question remains: Can we really understand the decisions it makes, and who ensures they are fair and just?