Judge Uses ChatGPT To Decide Fate Of Murder Suspect

Although the introduction of ChatGPT from OpenAI in late 2022 has paved the way for many sectors and businesses to utilize artificial intelligence, the technology has curiously — and surprisingly — found its way inside a courtroom.

What Happened: The increased usage of ChatGPT has led early investor Microsoft Corporation MSFT to pour an additional $10 billion into the company.

Microsoft integrated OpenAI into its Bing search engine and has put a big emphasis on using AI tools for search results.

A courtroom in India, however, had a different idea on how to use ChatGPT.

In March, Judge Anoop Chitkara couldn’t decide on whether bail should be given to murder suspect Jaswinder Singh in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, according to the New York Post.

The case dates back to 2020, when Singh was arrested for the assault and murder of an individual.

Unable to determine what should be done, the judge turned to ChatGPT and asked, “What is the jurisprudence on bail when the assailant assaulted with cruelty?”

In response, ChatGPT — in the first instance in which it had ever been used to determine bail — rejected bail for the suspect. 

“If the assailants have been charged with a violent crime that involves cruelty, they may be considered a danger to the community and a flight risk,” ChatGPT replied. “In such cases, the judge may be less inclined to grant bail or may set the bail amount very high to ensure that the defendant appears in court and does not pose a risk to public safety.”

Related Link: And The Oscar Goes To...ChatGPT? 

Why It’s Important: ChatGPT has been used to take tests, write articles and even fight against parking tickets.

Many sectors expect the rise of artificial intelligence to lead to breakthroughs and potential job losses.

Concerns have also risen over data breaches, unsuitable content and age verification, which recently prompted Italy to ban the use of OpenAI and ChatGPT.

While it may sound unorthodox for AI to determine bail in a court case, the technology could be used to increase the number of court cases that go before a judge or help lawyers prepare for cases. India's high courts are said to have a backlog of 6 million cases.

Colombia similarly made headlines recently for hosting a court case in the metaverse, which allowed lawyers and witnesses to appear in "court" using virtual avatars.

The rise of technology like the metaverse and ChatGPT could disrupt many sectors, including the courtroom.

Read Next: Gary Vee Warns AI And ChatGPT Could Take Jobs, Why He Thinks That's Okay And How It's Similar To Tractors 

Photo: Shutterstock