KUALA LUMPUR: Artificial intelligence must remain an assistive tool rather than a decision-maker according to former Federal Court judge Tan Sri Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal.
He emphasized that any AI impacting individual rights requires rigorous testing and clear oversight before deployment.
Harmindar stated AI possesses transformative potential for human endeavor but must not replace human judgment particularly within criminal justice systems.
AI should be an assistant, not a decision maker he declared during his plenary session at the ASEAN Law Forum 2025.
He cited a Sabah case where an AI sentencing tool recommended ten months imprisonment with fifty-four percent probability for a drug offence.
The magistrate instead imposed twelve months imprisonment demonstrating human judgment must prevail.
Harmindar chairs the Criminal Law Review Committee and stressed the necessity for proper rules and safeguards.
A clear risk-based approach is essential before adopting AI in judicial processes he emphasized.
Singapore has already issued guidelines for AI use in courts he noted while the Philippines drafts its judiciary AI governance framework.
Malaysia and other ASEAN members must follow suit with their own frameworks he urged.
A framework ensuring responsible AI use requires risk assessments and mitigation measures he explained.
AI use cases must undergo testing for bias, reliability and transparency before adoption he added.
He cautioned that AI’s criminal justice application demands vigilance despite being powerful technology.
We must always remain accountable he asserted regarding AI integration into justice systems.
Approaching AI with eyes wide open prepares us to address risks and reap benefits he concluded.
Colin Seow of Colin Seow Chambers provided Singapore’s perspective on AI implementation.
The Singapore Police Force uses AI in digital forensics to automatically sift seized devices for abuse material.
This integration significantly improves investigation speed and accuracy he confirmed.
AI deployment extends to Singapore’s financial sector through the COSMIC platform he added.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore launched COSMIC last year as a public-private data-sharing initiative.
Major banks and financial institutions participate in this collaborative information sharing platform.
AI analyses transaction patterns within COSMIC enabling proactive suspicious activity detection.
Banks can flag concerning activities across institutions while safeguarding customer confidentiality he explained.
Legislative changes support this initiative allowing information sharing strictly for crime prevention.
The three-day ASEAN Law Forum featured fifty-eight speakers and moderators across fifteen sessions.
Over three hundred participants from ASEAN and beyond attended the expert-led discussions.
Topics covered alternative dispute resolution and commercial law reforms alongside human rights. – Bernama
