00:00Chief Justice Ronny Burusing said AI has become one of the most significant emerging issues facing the legal profession globally.
00:08He said discussions around artificial intelligence are now unavoidable in legal circles, as lawyers, judges, and academics grapple with both
00:17its benefits and risks.
00:19A discussion on reimagining justice will not be complete without the mention of technology, especially AI.
00:29No lawyer gathering these days is complete without the topic coming up.
00:35It is current in legal education. It is current in the profession.
00:39We all know about AI fabricating cases and authorities.
00:44Burusing warned that while many legal professionals have already begun experimenting with AI tools, the technology presents serious concerns, including
00:53the generation of false legal authorities and fabricated case law.
00:57He said that this growing risk underscores the need for caution as the judiciary prepares a practice direction to regulate
01:05the use of generative AI in matters before the courts.
01:08He noted that judges had been sanctioned for the use of AI, and as a result, knowing he would be
01:15delivering an address which touched on its use, he put his speech through an AI detector, and was intrigued when
01:21he saw it got a high AI detection.
01:24I actually put my speech in to see what reason I would get about, you know, and they said I
01:31was, it's a 90%, you know, positive.
01:34The Chief Justice noted that international legal and technological leaders have also raised concerns about the rapid expansion of AI
01:42systems and the potential loss of human oversight.
01:45He referenced warnings that advanced systems may operate in ways not fully understood by their creators, raising broader concerns about
01:54control and accountability.
01:55But, Burusing stressed that the greatest limitation of artificial intelligence lies in its inability to replicate essential human qualities central
02:06to justice.
02:08The limitations of AI are equally obvious.
02:10He argued that while AI can process vast amounts of information quickly, it lacks empathy, moral judgment, and an understanding
02:20of the human experience, factors that are often critical in legal disputes.
02:26Citing global commentary, including views attributed to Pope Leo and legal scholars, he said AI systems do not experience conscience,
02:37responsibility, or emotion.
02:39Because of this, he insisted AI should never be entrusted with making judicial decisions.
02:47Alexander Bruce Wall, TV6 News.
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