When Juries Deadlock, AI Could Decide: AI Tools Enter Criminal Justice

TobyWalsh · x · 2026-09-08

AI researcher Toby Walsh shares an Observer long read on AI entering criminal justice. An Osaka University study found participants showed no preference between deferring to human judges versus LLMs in sentencing decisions. In a Shenzhen pilot, judges reached clear decisions 50% faster in 2024 using an AI evidence-examination tool, which was then rolled out across China's criminal justice system. UK barrister Michael Mansfield KC warns that given court backlogs, "if we don't fight for our juries, trial by AI is coming."

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