🚨 AI Judge

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.09.24

0️⃣ Artificial Intelligence Court Assistance and Judicial Access Improvement, Human Responsibility Principle Discussion

📌 "AI Judge Cannot Replace Humans"…Judicial and AI Experts Agree

💬 Domestic and international Supreme Court justices and AI industry officials clearly stated at an international conference held in Seoul that "AI cannot be the final decision-maker for judgments." The speakers acknowledged that AI is a useful tool for expanding judicial access for legally underserved populations, while emphasizing that legal decisions and their responsibilities must always belong to humans. They also raised the need for country-specific AI development strategies that reflect each nation's judicial system and human rights principles. The Korean courts have already prepared "Guidelines for Using Artificial Intelligence in the Judiciary" to explore responsible ways to use AI.

💡 Summary

• AI Judge is a system where artificial intelligence assists court procedures, with final responsibility for judgments remaining with humans.
• It is used as a tool to improve judicial access for legally underserved populations and increase trial efficiency.
• Strict guidelines are needed to prevent bias and ensure transparency.

1️⃣ Definition

AI Judge means a system where artificial intelligence assists judges' work in court proceedings or automates some judicial procedures. The important point here is that AI is limited to 'assisting' rather than 'replacing' judges.

AI Judge is mainly used for repetitive and standardizable tasks. For example, calculating compensation amounts in simple civil cases, determining fault ratios in traffic accidents, legal research and case analysis are typical uses. However, final judgments must always be made by human judges, with AI staying in the role of providing supporting materials for decisions.

💡 Why is this important?

• It improves the efficiency and consistency of trials, contributing to better judicial services for citizens.
• It reduces legal service costs, improving access for citizens facing economic difficulties.
• It complements human bias or mistakes, enabling fairer trials.
• It is a key technology leading the digital transformation of future judicial systems.

2️⃣ Current Status of AI Judge Implementation and Technical Limitations

📕 Domestic and International AI Judge Implementation Cases

• Korea's AI implementation is gradually expanding. Key examples include:

  • The Supreme Court has been preparing and pilot-testing "Guidelines for Using Artificial Intelligence in the Judiciary" since 2023.
  • Experiments have been conducted where AI suggests mediation plans in simple civil mediation cases.
  • AI is being actively introduced in case search and legal information provision systems.
  • Court administrative work is being automated to reduce trial preparation time.

• Various forms of AI are being used overseas. Key developments include:

  • Some US states use AI algorithms as reference materials for bail reviews and sentencing decisions.
  • Estonia planned a system where AI handles civil cases under 7,000 euros.
  • China has cases where AI judges conduct simple procedures in online courts.
  • Singapore uses AI for calculating fines in traffic violation cases.

📕 Technical Limitations and Concerns

• AI bias is the biggest concern. Major problems include:

  • Social prejudices contained in training data can be reflected in AI decisions.
  • There is a risk of discriminatory results against specific races, genders, or economic backgrounds.
  • AI may learn the bias of past cases and repeat unfair judgments.
  • AI may lack judgment ability for minority groups or new types of cases.

• There are limitations in transparency and explainability. Major concerns include:

  • There is a 'black box' problem where it's difficult to explain what grounds AI used to reach specific conclusions.
  • If the legal reasoning process is unclear, parties may find it difficult to accept the results.
  • Problems may arise in proving AI judgment errors during appeals or retrials.
  • Even judges may not fully understand the basis of AI decisions.

💡 Major Issues and Risk Factors of AI Judge

1. Bias and Discrimination: Risk of training data bias being reflected in judgments
2. Responsibility: Unclear who will take legal responsibility when AI makes errors
3. Lack of Transparency: Black box problem making it difficult to explain judgment grounds
4. Human Rights Violation Concerns: Lack of consideration for individual circumstances due to mechanical judgment
5. Technology Dependence: Concerns about judges' capacity declining due to excessive AI dependence

3️⃣ Judicial Access Improvement Effects and Future Prospects

✅ Improving Legal Service Access

• Reducing economic burden expands use of judicial services. Key effects include:

  • AI can help with simple legal consultations and document preparation, saving lawyer costs.
  • Reduced processing costs for small civil cases allow more people to use trials.
  • Legal information can be provided 24/7, greatly improving accessibility.
  • Complex legal terms are explained easily, making it easier for ordinary people to understand.

• Trial procedure efficiency is greatly improved. Key improvements include:

  • AI quickly processes repetitive document reviews and fact-checking tasks.
  • Similar cases and laws are found immediately to help judges' decisions.
  • Trial scheduling and court administrative work are automated, reducing waiting times.
  • The accuracy and speed of evidence analysis and organization increase.

✅ Institutional Measures for Safe AI Use

• Strict guidelines and monitoring systems are being established. Key measures include:

  • Korean courts' AI guidelines set transparency, fairness, and accountability as core principles.
  • Final human review and approval procedures for AI decisions are mandatory.
  • Regular bias checks and algorithm audits ensure fairness.
  • AI use scope is expanded step by step while verifying safety.

• Customized AI development reflecting national characteristics is being pursued. Key directions include:

  • 'Sovereign AI' development reflecting each country's legal system and cultural values is needed.
  • AI models trained mainly on domestic cases and laws are being built.
  • International cooperation is used to share and develop ethical standards for AI judges.
  • Continuous research and improvement enhance technology completeness.

4️⃣ Related Term Explanations

🔎 Algorithm Bias

• Algorithm bias is when AI systems produce discriminatory results for specific groups.
  • Algorithm bias refers to when artificial intelligence systems produce unfavorable or discriminatory results for specific groups due to prejudices that occurred in training data or the design process. This can reflect or deepen society's structural inequalities, even if unintended.
  • Major causes of bias include: First, training data bias where past discriminatory practices are reflected in data. Second, sampling bias where certain groups have too little or too much data. Third, confirmation bias where developers' preconceptions are reflected in algorithm design. Fourth, measurement bias where variable definitions or evaluation criteria are unfavorable to specific groups.
  • Such bias is particularly dangerous in AI judges. If racial or gender prejudices inherent in past cases are learned by AI, the same discrimination may be repeated in the future. To prevent this, measures are needed such as building diverse training data, regular bias checks, and monitoring fairness indicators.

🔎 Explainable AI

• Explainable AI refers to artificial intelligence that can clearly present decision processes and grounds.
  • Explainable AI (XAI) refers to technology that allows artificial intelligence to explain the process and grounds for reaching specific conclusions in a form humans can understand. Especially in high-risk fields, explanation and transparency of AI decisions are essential.
  • Core elements of explainability include: First, interpretability - being able to know why AI made such decisions. Second, transparency - algorithm operation methods should be disclosed. Third, traceability - being able to follow the steps of decision processes. Fourth, correctability - being able to improve when errors are discovered.
  • Explainable AI is particularly important in the judicial field. Trials must provide sufficient reasons for parties to accept results, but if AI operates like a 'black box', it's difficult to secure legal legitimacy. Therefore, AI judges must be designed to clearly explain decision grounds.

🔎 Right to Access Justice

• The right to access justice means everyone's right to receive fair trials in court.
  • Access to Justice refers to the fundamental right for all people to access courts without economic, social, or cultural barriers and receive fair and effective legal remedies. This is a core element of equality before the law and due process.
  • Components of the right to access justice include: First, physical accessibility - easy access to courts and legal services. Second, economic accessibility - reasonable litigation and lawyer costs. Third, procedural accessibility - legal procedures should be easy to understand and prompt. Fourth, substantial accessibility - actually being able to receive rights remedies.
  • AI judges can contribute to expanding access to justice. By reducing legal service costs, providing 24-hour accessible systems, and easily explaining complex laws, they help more citizens receive legal protection. This is expected to be particularly helpful for those who have difficulty hiring lawyers due to economic hardship.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Who is responsible if AI judges make wrong decisions?

A: Final responsibility for judgments always lies with human judges, and AI is just an assistant tool.

• According to internationally agreed principles, AI cannot be the responsible party for judgments, and final decisions and responsibility must always be borne by human judges. First, constitutional judicial power belongs only to judges, so AI cannot make independent judgments. Second, judges decide whether to adopt information or suggestions provided by AI, and judges also bear responsibility for those decisions. Third, if problems occur due to AI system errors or bias, it could be the judge's fault for not reviewing them. Fourth, courts have a duty to ensure the safety and reliability of AI systems.
• However, AI developers or court administration may bear separate responsibility for damages caused by technical defects in AI itself. The important thing is not to blindly trust AI and always go through final human review and judgment.

Q: Will lawyers and judges lose their jobs when AI judges are introduced?

A: Work methods will change in the short term, but new roles and opportunities will be created in the long term.

• The impact of AI judge introduction on legal professionals is complex. First, simple repetitive work will decrease, but human roles remain important for complex cases requiring professional judgment. Second, lawyers can focus more on negotiation, strategy development, and client consultation, which AI finds difficult to handle. Third, judges can make more careful and accurate decisions based on information provided by AI. Fourth, new professional fields like AI system development, verification, and monitoring will emerge.
• Historically, technological progress has automated some tasks but simultaneously created new jobs and opportunities. The legal field is also expected to establish new work methods that cooperate with AI. The important thing is for legal professionals to develop capabilities to understand and utilize AI technology.

Q: Can ordinary citizens also use AI judge services?

A: Simple legal consultation and information services are already available, and will expand further in the future.

• AI legal services available to ordinary citizens are gradually increasing. First, AI technology is being used in online legal information search services provided by the Supreme Court and various courts. Second, private services providing simple legal consultation or document writing assistance have emerged. Third, pilot services where AI suggests mediation plans in small cases or civil mediation are being implemented. Fourth, AI chatbots are being used for legal term explanations and procedure guidance.
• More diverse and sophisticated services are expected to be provided in the future. However, for complex or important legal problems, it's still better to get help from professionals. Use AI as a useful tool for initial information provision or simple case resolution, but always seek advice from human experts for final decisions.

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