Artificial Justice

“At its core, Artificial Justice explores the human elements involved in the act of delivering justice. What role do emotion, empathy, and intuition play when judging another human being? Advocates of judicial software argue that justice improves when it is stripped of elements that may distort verdicts—emotional, ideological, gender-based, class-based, or racial biases.

This is precisely the debate we explore through our protagonist, played by Verónica Echegui. She is a highly perfectionist professional, deeply focused on her work. Over the course of the story, she embarks on an inner journey toward the most human aspects of herself, questioning what value these qualities truly have when it comes to administering justice.

Prior to the film, I directed an investigative documentary also titled Artificial Justice, in which I traveled to several countries to interview judges, philosophers, social researchers, and members of the European Commission responsible for drafting ethical guidelines for the implementation of artificial intelligence in Europe. The documentary openly speculates on these issues, and it played a key role in shaping the screenplay of the film, which I co-wrote with Víctor Sierra.

I am deeply concerned—particularly about certain corporate strategies and the extreme centralization of power. Today, the world’s dominant technology companies are largely American or Chinese. There are only a handful—perhaps ten—that hold unprecedented power, a concentration unlike anything we have seen in human history. These corporations wield more influence than many nation-states. They make decisions that affect our daily lives and silently organize the way we exist in the world.

There should not be a single intelligence, but many: artificial intelligences developed within smaller communities, ensuring that diverse perspectives and ways of understanding life are respected.

Such alternatives may well emerge, but they too can be problematic. We cannot blindly trust artificial intelligence to take over democratic powers. There are critical decisions that must never be automated. AI cannot be treated as a magical solution to which we unquestioningly delegate responsibility—even the foundations of democracy itself. This is a debate we must engage in now.”

– Simón Casal, Director