Researchers claim that China developed an artificial intelligence prosecutor capable of charging people with crimes up to 97% accuracy.
A dystopian machine is able to identify “dissent” against the state, and propose sentences for suspected criminals. This removes people from prosecution.
Already there are concerns that the Chinese Communist Party could use the system to its advantage. Human prosecutors worry about who will be responsible for AI-related decisions.
Researchers claim that China developed an artificial intelligence prosecutor capable of charging people for crimes up to 97% accuracy.
The tool can file a charge based on a verbal description of the case and was built and tested by the Shanghai Pudong People’s Procuratorate, the biggest and busiest district prosecution office in China.
Professor Shi Yong, the lead scientist of the project said that the AI would enable human prosecutors reduce their workload while allowing them to concentrate on more difficult cases.
The system can run on a standard desktop computer and would press charges based on 1,000 ‘traits’ from the human-generated case description text, the South China Morning Post reported.
The machine was trained with 17,000 actual cases between 2015 and 2020.
You can be accused of provoking trouble, which is a term that’s used to suppress dissidents in China.
The AI prosecutor, once upgraded, will soon be capable of recognising more kinds of crime and filing multiple charges against one suspect.
Shi said in a paper published in the Management Review journal: ‘The system can replace prosecutors in the decision-making process to a certain extent.’
Although some AI technology exists already in law enforcement, it would not be used for pressing charges.
Germany uses image recognition and digital forensics to assist with casesloads. China, however, utilizes System 206 to assess evidence and determine the danger to a suspect and conditions that could lead to his arrest.
China’s government increasingly relies on AI for productivity. Machines are already in place to combat corruption and improve state control.
The system is not involved in decisions and it does not make sentences.
Guanghzhou prosecutor: He has concern about the technology.
His statement was: “While 97% accuracy may sound high technologically, there is always the possibility of making a mistake.”
“Who is responsible for it?” Is it the prosecution, the computer or the programmer?
He also stated that most human prosecutors won’t want computers to interfer with their work.
According to the prosecution, AI can detect errors but not replace human decision-making.
Also, there are fears that the system will not be able to adapt to changing standards of living and may even become a weapon for the state.
With machines in place for cracking down on corruption, and increasing state control, the Chinese government has begun to rely more heavily on AI to increase its productivity.