Scientists in Britain are now using artificial intelligence to predict the outcome of trials. Currently, the AI is being tested in special cases, and if the trial period is successful, it is possible that AI judges will become a reality.

The AI judge has displayed the ability to weigh the legal evidence and moral questions of right and wrong. The system was invented by computer scientists at the University College of London. It has reportedly accurately predicted the result of hundreds of real life cases.

According to the scientists involved in the project, the AI has predicted verdicts with an accuracy rate of 79 percent.

"There is a lot of hype about AI but we don't see it replacing judges or lawyers any time soon. What we do think is they'd find it useful for rapidly identifying patterns in cases that lead to certain outcomes," said Dr. Nikolaos Aletras, who led the study at UCL, told the BBC. "It could also be a valuable tool for highlighting which cases are most likely to be violations of the European Convention on Human Rights."

The algorithm examined data sets for 584 cases relating to torture and degrading treatment, fair trials, and privacy. It sorted through the cases and the evidence related to them, and classified them under "violation" and "non-violation."

There are some criticisms surrounding the practical applications of the AI judge. Critics have pointed out that the AI would not be able to understand the nuances of a legal case.

Although "AI judges" would certainly not be replacing real judges, a lot of law firms are turning to AI to help them sift through vast amounts of legal data. The AI judge could be time-saving and cost effective in the long run.