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SINGAPORE, Nov 7 \u2014 Artificial intelligence (AI) could one day reshape Singapore\u2019s courts to the point where judges may not even need formal legal training, according to Aidan Xu, who leads transformation and innovation in the judiciary.<\/p>\n
In an interview with CNA,<\/em> Xu said advances in AI may eventually allow people from other professional backgrounds \u2014 such as counsellors or engineers \u2014 to serve as judges, with technology supplying the legal expertise.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a strong likelihood that you won\u2019t need a lawyer to be a judge,\u201d he told the Singapore-based news outlet today, stressing that a fully AI judge or lawyer remains unlikely in the near future.<\/p>\n \u201cThe human element will be an important part of the role of a judge, in deciding cases, in deciding who to believe, in deciding what outcome should follow,\u201d he was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n Singapore\u2019s courts have in recent years rolled out several AI tools, including a summary generator developed with US start-up Harvey AI for Small Claims Tribunals and algorithms that predict outcomes in motor accident cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another initiative is a translation tool used to assist self-represented litigants.<\/p>\n Xu said the judiciary is also testing AI-enabled transcription systems and hopes to make them affordable for court users.<\/p>\n But he also cautioned against overreliance on technology.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd importantly, that they see AI is only a tool, and they cannot use it as a shortcut.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we want them to understand that they must continue to fulfil their functions as judges, judicial officers or administrators in the right way, and they don\u2019t click on an AI button and generate (an) answer and just pass that off as their work,\u201d he was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n He added that Singapore\u2019s judiciary continues to train officers to understand AI\u2019s limits and ensure the technology remains a tool and not a shortcut.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n