"Most Judges Will Receive AI Assistance"
Criticism Grows: "Irresponsible and Unethical"
A judge in Colombia has sparked controversy by revealing that he used the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot 'ChatGPT' to draft a court ruling.
On the 2nd (local time), according to AFP news agency, Colombian judge Juan Manuel Padilla said on a local radio broadcast that he utilized ChatGPT during the process of writing a case ruling.
The case involved parents requesting a waiver of medical expenses for their autistic child due to low income, and Judge Padilla ruled in favor of the autistic child's parents on January 30.
Judge Padilla said he consulted ChatGPT while drafting the ruling. When he asked ChatGPT, "Are autistic minors exempt from treatment fees?" it responded, "Yes. According to relevant Colombian regulations, autistic minors are exempt from treatment fees."
However, Judge Padilla stated that ChatGPT cannot replace his legal judgment as a judge. He said, "It can make drafting the initial version easier, but it is difficult to replace a judge," adding, "Just because we ask questions to an application does not mean we cease to be judges or thinking beings."
He further predicted that many judges will build their legal reasoning with the help of AI.
Juan David Gutierrez, a Colombian Rosario University professor and expert in AI regulation and management, said he asked ChatGPT the same question but received a different answer, suggesting that Judge Padilla's claim might be false.
Professor Gutierrez pointed out, "It is irresponsible and unethical for a judge to ask ChatGPT about issues they need to resolve," and emphasized, "Judges need to improve their digital literacy."
Meanwhile, ChatGPT is a conversational AI chatbot developed by the U.S. nonprofit research institute OpenAI. It has amazed the world with human-like interactions and accurate responses, understanding the intent of the person it is conversing with and even acknowledging its own mistakes.
Recent research shows that ChatGPT achieved over 50% accuracy on the U.S. medical licensing exam, boasting a level beyond merely passing the exam. It also earned an average grade of C+ or higher on law school graduation exams and reportedly scored B or B- on final exams of core MBA courses at the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
As ChatGPT demonstrates outstanding essay writing skills and passes some exams, concerns are growing about the potential misuse of the AI for cheating.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
