Lancaster University professor warns against AI at Supreme Court panel

On Thursday 29th January, a panel, attended by Professor Claire Hardaker, met to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and its benefits and drawbacks regarding democratic institutions.

The panel debated both the strengths and dangers of AI, and whether it risks destabilising such institutions.

Claire Hardaker, Professor of Forensic Linguistics at Lancaster University, specialises in deceptive and manipulative language, and the risks and opportunities surrounding AI.

Her research is focused on aggressive, deceptive and manipulative behaviours in computer-mediated communication (CMC) using a forensic linguistic approach.

The panel, debating the question, Why Trust Matters: Public confidence in the rule of law in an age of AI and populism, was chaired and moderated by the CEO of leading think tank, the Institute for Government, Dr Hannah White. Those also in attendance include, Lord Reed, the President of the Supreme Court, and Daniel Cameron, Ipsos Research Director. As well as this, an audience of law students were invited from leading universities.

Professor Hardaker, renowned for her language detection skills, cautioned the panel and audience on the drawbacks of AI. She highlights the importance of trust,  and warns against deepfake technologies and large language models, claiming they open more doors for strategic manipulation, the spread of misinformation, and unfounded biases. She said: “While AI offers efficiency and analytical power, uncritical deployment, particularly in legal and institutional contexts, risks eroding the nuanced human judgement and empathy that underpin justice.”

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This underpins the mission of Lancaster’s Data Science and AI Institute (DSAIL), where Professor Hardaker leads the new theme on ‘integrity’. The theme aims to address how fairness, transparency and trust can be maintained in sociotechnical systems that are endlessly evolving.

Following the panel’s conclusion, members looked to the audience for questions, and gave audience members the opportunity to further the discussion at a reception in the court’s lobby.

A video recording of the discussion is publicly available for people to watch on the court’s YouTube channel.

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Featured image via Claire Hardaker on LinkedIn.