Tasmania Department of Justice to Review Artificial Intelligence Usage
Following allegations that AI-generated hallucinated case law was used in prisoner parole decisions in Tasmania, the Department of Justice has launched a comprehensive audit process.
The Tasmanian Department of Justice has announced it will review past decisions after it was revealed that a parole board decision regarding prisoner Susan Neill-Fraser included fictional court case law believed to have been generated by artificial intelligence.
Review of Artificial Intelligence and Parole Decisions
The Tasmanian Department of Justice announced it will conduct a comprehensive review to understand the extent to which artificial intelligence has influenced past parole board decisions.
This decision came after it was revealed that a document prepared by the parole board regarding prisoner Susan Neill-Fraser contained fictional and AI-generated case law.
Susan Neill-Fraser Case and Grounds
Susan Neill-Fraser was paroled in 2022 after serving 13 years in prison for the 2009 murder of her partner, Bob Chappell.
The court removed the parole condition prohibiting Neill-Fraser from speaking to the media, stating that it was not in accordance with the law and violated procedural fairness.
Judge's Ruling and Detection of Fictional Case Law
It was determined that the parole board used AI-generated fictional references while establishing the aforementioned restrictive condition during the Department of Justice and related judicial processes.
Justice Stephen Estcourt clearly demonstrated that the case law in the documents relied upon by the board when making its decision was unreal and contained artificial intelligence hallucinations.
Reactions and Demands from Authorities
State Attorney-General Guy Barnett stated that he would write a letter to the parole board demanding an explanation regarding professional standards.
Opposition parties and legal circles argued that all similar past cases must be reviewed to understand how widespread the issue is.