Law Enforcement and Legal Professionals’ Trust in Algorithms

AI algorithms are increasingly influencing decision-making in criminal justice, including tasks such as predicting recidivism and identifying suspects by their facial features. The increasing reliance on machine-assisted legal decision-making impacts the rights of criminal defendants, the work of law enforcement agents, the legal strategies taken by attorneys, the decisions made by judges, and the public’s trust in courts. As such, it is crucial to understand how the use of AI is perceived by the professionals who interact with algorithms. The analysis explores the connection between law enforcement and legal professionals’ stated and behavioral trust. Results from three rigorous survey experiments suggest that law enforcement and legal professionals express skepticism about algorithms but demonstrate a willingness to integrate their recommendations into their own decisions and, thus, do not exhibit “algorithm aversion.” These findings suggest that there could be a tendency towards increased reliance on machine-assisted legal decision-making despite concerns about the impact of AI on the rights of criminal defendants.