The International Symposium on the Influence and Future Development of AI in Justice held by the Academy for the Judiciary, Ministry of Justice concluded with great success in the afternoon on October 16, 2019. During the two-day event, several foreign professionals and experts were invited to have discussions with Taiwanese legal practitioners, including Ms. Shawnna M. Hoffman-Childress, Leader of IBM Global Cognitive Legal Practice; Mr. Jeff Ward, Professor of Duke University in the US; Prosecutor Jeong Yeongsu, Vice Minister of Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office, Ansan Branch; and Mr. Wang, Jin-long, Chief of Department of Information Management, Judicial Yuan. The speakers shared experience in AI application, a hot issue in both society and the judiciary. Lively conversations between speakers and the audience generated thought-provoking and constructive ideas, creating a fruitful conference.
In her closing remarks, Ms. Tsai Pi-Yu, President of the Academy, quoted what Professor Jeff Ward had emphasized during the conference that in the process of AI development, legal practitioners should play a more active and attentive role who empowers others. Thus, we can ensure that instead of undermining our core values, AI tools can provide greatest benefit to humankind. Ms. Shawnna M. Hoffman-Childress stated that AI tools make us "unaware of what we don't know", but if we are more engaged and work harder to learn AI tools, we will "be aware of what we should do" when being faced with the rapid growth of AI.
Hundreds of legal professionals joined the event from the Ministry of Justice, Judicial Yuan, and courts, including chief judges, judges, chief prosecutors, prosecutors, judicial police officers temporarily transferred from police departments, lawyers, and professors. Judiciary Class 60 of the Academy and the Lawyer-transferred-to-Prosecutor Class 2 also participated in the conference. The symposium is the best way for legal practitioners to gain practical knowledge of AI. The Academy for the Judiciary is hoping to facilitate more dialogues between technology and judiciary, helping more legal professionals learn more about AI and initiate more discussions.