A judge in Colombia has admitted to using ChatGPT to rule on a case involving treatment costs for an autistic child.
ChatGPT chatbot has made a lot of noise in recent weeks and has been used in various fields. Now a judge in Colombia has announced that he used ChatGPT when deciding whether an autistic child’s insurance should cover all of his treatment costs. He also used the history of previous rulings to support his decision.
According to reports, “Juan Manuel Padilla,” the judge of the city of Cartagena in Colombia, finally concluded that the insurance should cover all medical expenses and transportation costs of this autistic child; Because his family cannot afford these expenses. While the sentence itself did not cause much fanfare, Padilla’s use of ChatGPT to issue the ruling has become controversial.
Using ChatGPT to adjudicate legal cases
According to legal documents, among Padilla’s requests to ChatGPT, the judge asked OpenAI about the case before him: “Would a child with autism be exempt from paying for his treatment?” ChatGPT provided an answer to this question that was consistent with the judge’s final ruling:
“Yes, it’s true. “According to the regulations in Colombia, children with autism are exempt from paying for their treatment.”
The case has raised debate about using artificial intelligence in legal work, and some of Padilla’s peers have even criticized him for doing so. However, Padilla has defended his action and suggested that the technology could make Colombia’s legal system more efficient and effective.
According to Padilla, ChatGPT and similar programs can facilitate the drafting of texts but not replace judges. By asking questions about such programs, Padilla also said we do not stop judging and thinking.
This Colombian judge has also claimed that ChatGPT provides a service that a clerk previously performed in an organized and streamlined manner that can improve response times in the judicial system; Of course, not everyone agrees with Padilla’s opinion.
For example, a judge in the Supreme Court of Colombia, Octavio Tejiro, believes that judges should refrain from using ChatGPT to rule in legal cases and that this tool should not replace the knowledge, expertise, and judgment of a human judge. However, Tejiro has said he will try ChatGPT in the future.