When AI Decides Your Fate (and Probably Your Parking Tickets)

There are moments in life when you wonder if you’ve stepped into a sci-fi movie. You know the type: sleek, flashing screens everywhere, people having virtual meetings while their robot dogs fetch coffee. And now, it seems, we’re dragging the creaking, dusty world of the legal system into this future. Courts of law, long the bastion of solemnity, tradition, and interminable paperwork, are getting a technological upgrade, whether we like it or not.

It’s almost enough to make you wonder: what next? Robots in wigs doling out judgments? Not quite yet. But the world is changing fast, and Luis Gustavo Parra Noriega, an academic from UNAM's Faculty of Higher Studies (FES) Acatlán, says we are now on the precipice of “open justice.” This isn’t just about opening up the dusty old doors of the courtrooms to let the light in—it’s a new world where transparency, public participation, and innovation meet the once unyielding structures of justice.

The Brave New Courtroom

Open justice, as Parra Noriega points out, is a philosophy that aims to make governance mechanisms transparent and accessible. Imagine a courtroom where not only the lawyers and judges get to know what’s going on, but anyone with an internet connection can peer into the proceedings. You see, it’s all about data—the life force of the digital age. We’re talking open data here: information that can be reused, repurposed, and analyzed to create “public value.” That’s academic jargon for: “We’re going to shake things up.”

In the world of justice, this means digitizing everything: case files, notifications, and even court proceedings themselves. The cumbersome mountains of paper that lawyers love to haul into courtrooms may soon become relics of the past. All of this will be managed electronically, with the help of artificial intelligence, no less. Yes, AI is barging its way into the courtroom, and it isn’t just there to help lawyers cheat their way through legal research or draft contracts in record time. It’s also being used to analyze procedures, organize data, and even project possible outcomes.

Now, before you start conjuring images of Terminator-style machines handing down sentences, Parra Noriega cautions that we’re not quite there yet. AI is being used, sure, but we haven’t handed over the keys to the courthouse just yet. The idea is that AI could help streamline things, making justice quicker, fairer, and perhaps even cheaper. We’re seeing it in Europe, where they’ve already started implementing regulations around how AI can be used in legal settings. In some countries, they’re testing AI to assist in dispute resolution online—fancy talk for having algorithms help sort out squabbles without the need for lengthy court battles.

But here’s the rub: AI isn’t perfect. Not by a long shot. If you’ve ever screamed at your phone for failing to understand the simplest command, you’ll know that. And we’re now entrusting these imperfect systems to weigh in on matters of justice. There’s no proper regulation of AI in many places, meaning we’re kind of flying blind here. Could AI be biased? Could it be manipulated? Who’s responsible when it screws up? All of these questions loom large over the digital transformation of justice, and so far, the answers remain frustratingly unclear.

Meanwhile, there’s another issue at play: gender inequality. According to Sofía Salgado Remigio from UNAM’s Coordination of Humanities, a whopping 86% of public contracts go to men, with women scooping up just 14%. Let’s take a moment to digest that, shall we? In the 21st century, we’re still seeing women locked out of opportunities in the public sector on a massive scale. Now, in some places, they’re doing something about it. Countries are increasingly trying to ensure that businesses led by women are not just competing but thriving, providing services with transparency and, get this—greater efficiency than their male-led counterparts.

But we’re not just talking about fairness here. Salgado Remigio proposes a democratic approach to public contracts—one where standardized regulations and technology are put to use to create a level playing field. And that’s the thing about technology: in theory, it’s the great equalizer. You either know how to use it, or you don’t. But in practice, who’s controlling the code? Who’s benefiting from the algorithms? These are the pressing questions when you start scratching the surface of this brave new digital world.

Intra-Party Justice

And just when you think it couldn’t get any more complicated, enter politics. Carolina del Ángel Cruz, another academic from UNAM’s FES Aragón, weighs in on intra-party justice. Now, this might sound like a niche concern—until you realize that political parties are essentially the gatekeepers of democracy. According to the Constitution, political parties are public interest entities. They’re not technically part of the government, but they wield enormous power. And as such, they’re subject to regulations designed to keep them in check. However, unlike the rest of us mere mortals, they’ve got certain prerogatives that let them bend the rules in ways the average citizen simply cannot.

The question Del Ángel Cruz raises is whether these parties are doing enough to regulate themselves. After all, if they’re supposed to represent us, shouldn’t they be the paragon of fairness and transparency? Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. Political parties often operate in a murky zone where accountability is thin, and the rules seem to apply selectively. And yet, these are the very institutions tasked with upholding democratic integrity.

So, where does that leave us? We stand at a crossroads where technology could reshape the legal and political landscape in profound ways. Open justice promises greater transparency and access to the average citizen, but it also brings challenges, particularly around the use of AI. Gender inequality remains an issue in public contracting, though technological solutions could help level the playing field. And in politics, the jury’s still out on whether parties can truly regulate themselves in a manner that serves the public interest.

The future of justice, then, is tantalizingly close but still maddeningly out of reach. We’re on the edge of something big, but as with all revolutions, there will be casualties—perhaps a few dusty legal tomes, and maybe even some long-standing inequities. But one thing’s certain: the courtroom, as we know it, is about to change forever. And whether we end up with robots in wigs or AI arbitrators, it’s bound to be a wild ride. Buckle up.