21 Lessons from an Expert Discussion on AI, Governance, and People-Centered Justice

A recent expert discussion hosted by Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, in its role as Secretariat of the Justice Action Coalition, together with the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice and the Permanent Missions of Costa Rica and Denmark to the United Nations, explored the links between artificial intelligence, governance and people-centred justice. The event brought together over 200 participants from governments, international organisations, the legal field, civil society and the private sector to discuss two connected questions: how the justice sector can support more inclusive and enforceable AI governance, and how AI can contribute to better justice outcomes for people.

The discussion underlined that justice actors have a central role in shaping how AI governance works in practice. Participants stressed that rules and principles alone are not enough, and that courts, lawyers, legal aid providers and community justice actors will be key to turning governance frameworks into meaningful accountability and redress. A recurring message was that people-centred justice offers a useful lens for AI governance because it starts with people’s actual problems and lived experiences, rather than with institutional or technological assumptions.

A second part of the discussion focused on the use of AI within justice systems themselves. Examples shared during the event showed that AI is already being applied in areas such as court administration, legal information tools, alternative dispute resolution and judicial analytics. At the same time, participants highlighted important risks related to transparency, automation bias, weak data infrastructure and judicial independence. The summary report and recording provide a useful overview of these opportunities, challenges and policy considerations for colleagues working at the intersection of justice, digital governance and democracy support.

Concept note and recording:
https://cic.nyu.edu/events/ai-for-justice-and-justice-for-ai-expert-discussion-on-artificial-intelligence-ai-governance-and-people-centered-justice/