English Learning: AI in Criminal Justice Systems

Dialogue

Current Situation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into criminal justice systems worldwide, offering both promise and challenges. AI applications range from predictive policing, which uses data to anticipate crime hotspots, to risk assessment tools that evaluate a defendant’s likelihood of re-offending (recidivism). It also assists in sifting through vast amounts of evidence, analyzing documents, audio, and video more efficiently than humans.

Proponents highlight AI’s potential to enhance efficiency, reduce case backlogs, and identify patterns that might be missed by human analysts. However, significant concerns exist regarding bias, as AI algorithms can inadvertently perpetuate or amplify existing societal biases present in their training data. Transparency and accountability are also major ethical considerations, as the complex nature of AI decisions can make it difficult to understand how conclusions are reached, potentially compromising fairness and due process.

Key Phrases

• predicting recidivism: The act of forecasting whether a person will re-offend after being released from prison or completing a sentence.

  Example: AI algorithms are often used for predicting recidivism, to help judges make informed decisions about sentencing and parole.

• sifting through mountains of evidence: To examine a very large amount of information carefully and thoroughly to find something specific.

  Example: Law enforcement can use AI for sifting through mountains of evidence in complex fraud cases.

• statistically improbable: Very unlikely to happen based on statistical analysis or probability.

  Example: The defense argued that the prosecution’s timeline was statistically improbable given the defendant’s alibi.

• backlog: A large quantity of work that needs to be done but has not yet been done.

  Example: AI could help reduce the huge backlog of cases in the court system, speeding up justice.

• support system: A network of people or things that provides encouragement, assistance, and guidance.

  Example: The AI is designed to be a support system for judges, not to replace them entirely in decision-making.

• data points: Individual pieces of information or facts collected about a subject.

  Example: It’s important to understand what data points an AI uses to make its recommendations to ensure fairness.

• perpetually grumpy face: A face that always looks unhappy or annoyed. (Used humorously in the dialogue)

  Example: Don’t worry, having a perpetually grumpy face won’t automatically make you a suspect, even to an AI!

Grammar Points

1. Question Tags

   Question tags are short questions added to the end of a statement. They are used to confirm information or to invite agreement.

   • If the main statement is positive, the tag is usually negative: “It’s a bit dramatic, isn’t it?”
   • If the main statement is negative, the tag is usually positive: “AI can’t replace human judges entirely, can it?”

2. Conditional Sentences (Type 1 & 2)

   Conditional sentences express a condition and its result. The dialogue uses both Type 1 (real future possibilities) and Type 2 (hypothetical or unreal situations).

   • Type 1 (Real Conditional): Used for a real or very probable situation in the present or future.

     Structure: If + Present Simple, will/can/may + Base Verb

     Example from dialogue: “What if I just have a perpetually grumpy face? Will AI tag me as a potential menace?”

     Example: “If we don’t address AI bias, it will lead to unfair judgments.”

   • Type 2 (Unreal Conditional): Used for hypothetical or improbable situations in the present or future.

     Structure: If + Past Simple, would/could/might + Base Verb

     Example from dialogue (implied future hypothetical): “I’m just picturing a future where AI handles everything, and we’re all just trying to guess what data points it’s judging us on.” (Could be rephrased: “If AI handled everything, we would all be guessing…”)

     Example: “If I were a judge, I would rely on AI for initial evidence screening.”

3. Phrasal Verb: “Sift through”

   A phrasal verb is a verb combined with an adverb or a preposition, or sometimes both, to create a new meaning.

   • Sift through: To examine a collection of things very carefully in order to find something, or to separate the useful things from the less useful ones.

     Example from dialogue: “Think about sifting through mountains of evidence.”

     Example: The detective had to sift through hundreds of witness statements to find inconsistencies.

Practice Exercises

1. Key Phrase Completion

Fill in the blanks with the correct key phrase from the list provided (predicting recidivism, sifting through mountains of evidence, statistically improbable, backlog, support system, data points, perpetually grumpy face).

1. The police spent weeks __________ to find clues in the old cold case.

   Answer: sifting through mountains of evidence

2. One of the main benefits of AI is reducing the __________ of cases in the legal system.

   Answer: backlog

3. The algorithm focuses on analyzing various __________ to determine a pattern of behavior.

   Answer: data points

4. The judge considered the defendant’s alibi __________, given the witness statements.

   Answer: statistically improbable

5. AI aims to be a __________ for legal professionals, not a replacement.

   Answer: support system

2. Modal Verb Application (will, could, might)

Choose the best modal verb (will, could, might) to complete each sentence, considering the level of certainty or possibility.

1. If we don’t address AI bias, it __________ lead to unfair judgments.

   Answer: will (strong certainty if bias isn’t addressed)

2. The AI __________ analyze millions of documents in seconds, but it still needs human oversight.

   Answer: could (emphasizes capability/possibility)

3. Next year, we __________ see even more advanced AI tools in courts.

   Answer: might / could (less certain than ‘will’, but still a possibility)

3. Conditional Sentences

Combine the following pairs of sentences into a single conditional sentence (Type 1 or Type 2) as appropriate.

1. Alice is worried about AI. It will make decisions based on odd criteria.

   Answer: If AI makes decisions based on odd criteria, Alice will be worried.

2. Bob believes AI makes the system more efficient. It processes evidence faster.

   Answer: If AI processes evidence faster, it will make the system more efficient. (or, more naturally: Bob believes AI makes the system more efficient because it processes evidence faster.)

3. I don’t have enough data. I can’t train the AI model properly.

   Answer: If I had enough data, I could train the AI model properly. (Type 2, hypothetical)

4. Identify Question Tags

Add the correct question tag to these sentences.

1. That’s a serious ethical concern, __________?

   Answer: isn’t it

2. AI can’t replace human judges entirely, __________?

   Answer: can it

3. They are using AI for predictive policing, __________?

   Answer: aren’t they