The sheer volume of data that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has to deal with daily is astounding. Law enforcement agencies generate millions of data, including police reports, crime scene photos, and eyewitness testimony. This data must be analyzed and processed to identify patterns, trends, and leads.
This process was very difficult, time-consuming, and error-prone. Human analysts had to manually review all the data, which was often overwhelming. It could take weeks or even months to investigate a crime.
Moreover, it created a lack of transparency and accountability in the criminal justice system. Tracking crime rates, recidivism rates, and sentencing disparities was difficult. It was challenging to identify areas where the system was not working effectively. Human decision-making can be biased, leading to unfair outcomes in the criminal justice system.
Thankfully, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to address all of these roadblocks. It can make the justice department more efficient, effective, fair, and accessible to all Americans. AI can help the justice department investigate crimes more quickly and efficiently, increase transparency and accountability, reduce bias in decision-making, and make legal services more accessible.
Here are some of the ways AI transforms the justice department:
Improving Criminal Investigations
AI can help law enforcement agencies identify trends in criminal behavior, spot unusual financial transactions, and analyze large amounts of data more quickly and efficiently than humans can. This can lead to faster and more effective investigations and prosecutions.
Reducing Bias in Decision-Making
AI can help remove human bias from decision-making in the criminal justice system. For example, AI can assess the recidivism risk for offenders, helping judges make more informed decisions about sentencing and parole.
Automating Routine Tasks
AI can automate many of the routine tasks that DOJ employees perform, freeing up their time to focus on more complex and strategic work. For example, AI can automate document review, legal research, and case management tasks.
Improving Access to Justice
AI can help make justice more accessible to people from all walks of life. For example, AI can be used to develop chatbots that can answer legal questions and guide people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer.
Specific Examples of AI Use in the DOJ
1. FBI’s Threat Intake Processing System (TIPS) Database
The FBI’s Threat Intake Processing System (TIPS) database is a system that uses AI algorithms to process and prioritize tips received by the FBI. The AI algorithms are trained to identify actionable tips, which are tips that are likely to lead to further investigation or action. The AI algorithms also prioritize actionable tips based on their severity and potential impact.
The TIPS database helps the FBI triage immediate threats and respond to the most serious threats first. Using AI to identify and prioritize actionable tips, the FBI can save time and resources and ensure that the most serious threats are addressed first.
For example, a person calls the FBI to report a suspicious individual taking photographs of a federal building. The FBI operator enters the information into the TIPS database. The AI algorithms in the TIPS database identify the tip as actionable and prioritize it based on the severity of the threat. An FBI agent is then assigned to investigate the tip.
The AI algorithms in the TIPS database are constantly learning and improving. The AI algorithms can more accurately identify and prioritize actionable tips as the database receives more data.
The TIPS database is an important tool that helps the FBI protect the United States from terrorism and other threats. Using AI to process and prioritize tips, the FBI can save time and resources and ensure that the most serious threats are addressed first.
2. Office of Records Management Policy
The Office of Records Management Policy at the Department of Justice (DOJ) uses an AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) tool to assess the similarity of records schedules across all Department records schedules. This tool provides recommendations for schedule consolidation and review, helping the Records Manager make more informed decisions about managing the Department’s records.
Records schedules specify the retention and disposition requirements for different types of records. They are important for ensuring that the Department’s records are managed efficiently and per the law.
The AI and NLP tools used by the Office of Records Management Policy can identify similar records schedules by analyzing their content. This is done by using a variety of techniques, such as:
- Identifying common keywords and phrases.
- Analyzing the structure of the records schedules.
- Understanding the context in which the records schedules are used.
Once the AI and NLP tool has identified similar records schedules, it can provide recommendations for consolidation and review. This can help the Records Manager:
- Eliminate redundant records schedules.
- Combine similar records schedules into a single schedule.
- Identify records schedules that need to be updated.
The use of AI and NLP to assess the similarity of record schedules is a new and innovative approach to records management. It has the potential to save the DOJ time and money and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its records management program.
For example, the Office of Records Management Policy wants to consolidate the Department’s records schedules for personnel records. The office uses the AI and NLP tools to identify all of the Department’s records schedules that relate to personnel records. The tool then analyzes the content of these records schedules and identifies a number of similar schedules.
The Office of Records Management Policy then uses the tool’s recommendations to consolidate similar records schedules into one schedule. The Department’s Records Management Committee then reviews and approves this new schedule.
The use of the AI and NLP tools has helped the Office of Records Management Policy eliminate redundant records schedules, improve the efficiency of its records management program, and save the Department money.
3. Civil Division
The DOJ’s Civil Division is using AI to develop a tool to help attorneys identify and review privileged documents. This tool is still under development, but it has the potential to significantly reduce the time and effort that attorneys spend on reviewing documents.
Privileged documents are confidential and cannot be shared with opposing counsel. Attorneys must review all the documents in a case to identify and protect privileged documents. This can be a very time-consuming and labor-intensive process.
The AI tool developed by the DOJ’s Civil Division is designed to automate identifying and reviewing privileged documents. The tool will use AI to analyze documents’ content and identify those likely to be privileged. The tool will then provide attorneys with a list of privileged documents for review.
The use of AI to identify and review privileged documents has several potential benefits:
- Reduced time and effort: The AI tool can save attorneys significant time and effort by automating the process of identifying and reviewing privileged documents.
- Improved accuracy: The AI tool can help improve the accuracy of the privileged document review process by identifying privileged documents that human reviewers may overlook.
- Reduced costs: The AI tool can help reduce the costs associated with the privileged document review process by automating the process and freeing up attorneys to focus on other tasks.
The AI tool developed by the DOJ’s Civil Division is still under development, but it can potentially revolutionize how privileged documents are reviewed. If successful, it could be used by public and private attorneys to save time, improve accuracy, and reduce costs.
For example, an attorney in the DOJ’s Civil Division is working on a case involving a complex contract dispute. The attorney must review thousands of documents to identify and protect privileged ones.
The attorney uses the AI tool to analyze the content of the documents. The tool identifies several documents that are likely to be privileged. The attorney then reviews the list of privileged documents provided by the tool.
The attorney can use the AI tool to significantly reduce the time and effort spent reviewing documents. The attorney can also improve the accuracy of the privileged document review process by identifying privileged documents that a human reviewer may have overlooked.
The AI tool has helped the attorney save time, improve accuracy, and reduce the costs associated with the privileged document review process.
4. Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
The DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) uses AI to develop a tool to help law enforcement agencies identify and track dark net marketplaces. This tool is still under development, but it has the potential to help law enforcement disrupt the sale of illegal goods and services online.
Darknet marketplaces are online platforms where people can buy and sell illegal goods and services, such as drugs, weapons, and stolen identities. Darknet marketplaces are difficult to find and access, and they use encryption to protect the identities of their users.
The AI tool being developed by the OJP is designed to help law enforcement agencies identify and track dark net marketplaces by analyzing various data sources, including:
- Website traffic data
- Social media data
- Financial transaction data
- Dark web forum data
The AI tool will use this data to identify patterns and trends that may indicate the presence of a dark net marketplace. The tool will then provide law enforcement agencies with information about the dark net marketplace, such as its location, the types of goods and services it sells, and its users.
The use of AI to identify and track dark net marketplaces has several potential benefits:
- Improved enforcement capabilities: The AI tool can help law enforcement agencies improve their capabilities by making identifying and tracking dark net marketplaces easier.
- Reduced crime: The AI tool can help reduce crime by disrupting the sale of illegal goods and services on dark net marketplaces.
- Increased public safety: The AI tool can help increase public safety by making it more difficult for criminals to use dark net marketplaces to obtain illegal goods and services.
The AI tool being developed by the OJP is still under development, but it can potentially be a valuable tool for law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime and protecting public safety.
For example, a law enforcement agency uses the AI tool to monitor dark web forums for signs of new dark net marketplaces. The AI tool identifies a pattern of suspicious activity on a particular forum. The agency investigates the forum and discovers that it is a new dark net marketplace that sells drugs and weapons.
The agency uses the information provided by the AI tool to investigate the dark net marketplace and disrupt its operations. The agency can seize the marketplace’s servers and arrest its operators.
The AI tool has helped law enforcement agencies disrupt the sale of illegal goods and services on the dark net marketplace and protect the public from harm.
5. National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
Eyewitness testimony is one of the most important types of evidence in the criminal justice system. However, eyewitness testimony can also be unreliable and lead to wrongful convictions.
The DOJ’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is funding research into the use of AI to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. This research is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to help reduce the number of wrongful convictions.
One way AI is being used to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony is by developing tools that can help identify and correct common biases in eyewitness memory. For example, AI-powered tools can be used to assess the confidence of an eyewitness and identify factors that may influence their memory, such as stress, time of day, and distance from the event.
AI is also being used to develop tools to improve how eyewitness testimony is collected and presented. For example, AI-powered tools can create virtual simulations of crime scenes, helping witnesses recall events more accurately.
The research on the use of AI to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to significantly impact the criminal justice system. If successful, AI could help reduce the number of wrongful convictions and ensure that justice is served.
Specific Examples of AI Use in the DOJ
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, are developing an AI-powered tool that can assess the confidence of an eyewitness and identify factors that may influence their memory. The Eyewitness Confidence Assessment Tool (ECAT) tool is designed to help law enforcement officers and attorneys better understand and evaluate eyewitness testimony.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Boston are developing an AI-powered tool to create virtual simulations of crime scenes. The Virtual Eyewitness Experience (VEX) tool is designed to help witnesses recall events more accurately.
Researchers at the University of Amsterdam are developing an AI-powered tool that can be used to identify and correct common biases in eyewitness memory. The Eyewitness Bias Correction Tool (EBCT) tool is designed to help law enforcement officers and attorneys conduct more accurate and unbiased eyewitness interviews.
These are just a few examples of the research on using AI to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. This research has the potential to significantly impact the criminal justice system and help ensure that justice is served.
