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AI Judge? More Like AI Cover-Up for a Broken SystemSo, a judge in the UK, Christopher McN... AI Judge? More Like AI Cover-Up for a Broken System
So, a judge in the UK, Christopher McNall, openly admitted he used AI to help write a judgment. Big deal. Evans v Revenue & Customs Commissioners, or whatever it’s called. Sounds like a snoozefest from the jump. The angle here is supposed to be about transparency and the future of justice? Please. More like a shiny distraction from the fact that the entire HMRC is a bureaucratic nightmare.
The Rise of the Machines (and Excuses)
Okay, so Judge McNall patted himself on the back for being upfront about using AI. He even said the case was "well suited" for it, because it was just a "discrete case management matter." Right, because shoving complex tax law through an algorithm makes it more human and understandable. Give me a break.
He reiterated that he’s still responsible for the judgment. Of course, he is. It's not like Skynet is gonna start issuing tax rulings anytime soon. Or will it? I mean, if we're letting AI write legal decisions, why not let it audit returns while we're at it? Maybe the AI could actually find the loopholes the average person misses, instead of just going after the low-hanging fruit. Just a thought.
And let’s be real here – this whole thing is just a way to cut costs and speed things up. The "swift production of decisions," as the guidance puts it. Because justice is all about speed, right? Not accuracy, fairness, or, you know, actual human understanding.
The Human Cost of Efficiency
Sir Geoffrey Vos, whoever that is, is worried about AI replicating "emotion, idiosyncrasy, empathy and insight." Well, Sir Geoffrey, with all due respect, have you seen the British tax code? It’s about as empathetic as a brick wall. Maybe a little AI intervention would make it more, not less, human.
The HMRC thinks they're doing us a favor by streamlining things? They're probably just trying to cover their asses after years of incompetence. Didn't they just announce they're going to start dipping directly into people's bank accounts to recover debts? Talk about lacking "emotion, idiosyncrasy, empathy and insight." The HMRC is encouraging people born before 2011 to claim cash. Offcourse, that's if they can navigate the labyrinthine website to figure out how. HMRC wants people born before 2011 to claim cash
And what about the potential for bias? AI is only as good as the data it's trained on. If that data is skewed, the AI will be too. Are we really supposed to trust that these algorithms are completely neutral? I ain't buying it.
Transparency? Or Just Good PR?
Judge McNall "set a benchmark for transparency" by disclosing his use of AI. Or maybe he just realized he couldn't hide it. Either way, it’s still a far cry from solving the root problems with the HMRC.
Here's a question: if AI is so great at processing information, why are there still so many errors in tax assessments? Why are people still waiting months, even years, for refunds? Maybe instead of throwing AI at the problem, they should hire more competent people. Then again, maybe that's too simple.
So, What's the Real Story?
This AI judge thing is a smokescreen. A way for the HMRC to look like they're on the cutting edge while they continue to screw over taxpayers. It's not about justice; it's about efficiency and cost-cutting. And I, for one, am not buying it.