In a first, Colombian judge uses ChatGPT to write his verdict

Colombian judge Juan Manuel Padilla Garcia has made history as he used the artificial intelligence-based search tool ChatGPT for writing his ruling in a case.

New Delhi, Feb 6: When ChatGPT is making all the right noises in all corners, why would the judicial system be left alone? According to reports coming from Colombia, ChatGPT is fast becoming a great tool not just among the lawyers but the judges as well. For the first time, a lower court judge in Colombia used ChatGPT to write his verdict in a case.

According to media reports from Colombia, judge Juan Manuel Padilla Garcia has made history as he used the artificial intelligence (AI) based search tool for writing his ruling. The First Circuit Court judge from the city of Cartagena emphasized that he is a pro-AI and he advocates for using the AI tool for better delivery of judgments.

He elaborated on the process and said that first he asked legal questions about the case and then looked for the responses that helped him in writing down the decision. He, however, clarified that he does not support that AI-produced texts should replace the judge's decision.

Optimizing time spent on drafting judgments

ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot model developed by OpenAI, has earned huge demand among professionals. In the instant case from Colombia, the judge has endorsed the use of the technology when he says that it should be used to optimize the time spent on drafting judgments.

However, he clarifies that the use should be limited and used carefully only for the corroboration purposes. The technology could be extremely useful to shorten the delivery time of a judgment and speed up the time consuming judgment writing. It will also reduce dependency on the judgment writers who work with the judges.

Implications of AI use in judgments

Although Colombian law does not forbid AI's use in writing down a court ruling, critics are of the view that it could set wrong precedence, especially as ChatGPT is known for delivering biased answers. There are instances where ChatGPT answers have been ridiculed as they are so much biased against 'Whites' and pro-Blacks. Needless to say, AI has limited understanding of issues and is based mostly on the language model that is fed to it.

Therefore, there are always the chances for bias, discrimination and, at times, completely wrong answers. Although ChatGPT creator OpenAI claims that they are implementing filters to eliminate some of the more problematic responses, it needs a lot of work to become a perfect tool to write judgments.