Why Aren't We Using AI to Advance Justice?
By Amal Clooney and Philippa Webb
In this TIME opinion piece, our Co-Founders Amal Clooney and Philippa Webb examine the global “justice gap” — the vast divide between those who need legal protection and those who can access it — and argue that artificial intelligence, if deployed responsibly, can help bridge it. Drawing on examples from Malawi and beyond, they describe how AI-powered legal assistants developed by the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice are expanding access to legal information, pro bono representation, and protection for women and journalists in under-resourced settings.
At the same time, the authors warn of the growing and often unregulated use of AI in courts worldwide, from risk assessment and case triage to evidence evaluation, raising serious concerns for fairness and due process. The piece outlines the Institute’s broader work to promote safe and accountable AI in justice systems, including global mapping of judicial AI use, training for judges, and research on legal responses to cyberattacks. The article concludes by emphasising that justice systems must evolve to meet technological change — and that shaping this transformation responsibly is both an opportunity and a duty.
