Judges are grappling with whether and when to use artificial intelligence. Erin Solovey, associate professor of computer science, studied how judges in the U.K. perceive the risks and benefits of using artificial intelligence in the courts. She conducts research on human-AI interaction and provided analysis for an MIT Technology Review article on new technology and the judicial system. 

International media outlets reported on research conducted by a group of professors including Erin Solovey, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science. Solovey and professors from Harvard-Radcliffe Institute and Maynooth University explored perceptions of artificial intelligence from 12 judges in the United Kingdom, including 5 members of the U.K. Supreme Court, through a focus group study. Their research paper, which outlines both opportunities for AI implementation in some judicial situations as well as concerns about over-reliance on the technology, won best paper award at last month’s Symposium on Human-Computer Interaction for Work (CHIWORK) in Amsterdam.