Nations Draw the Line on AI in Courts: Assist, Never Replace

The 15th UN Crime Congress convened a high-level thematic meeting that crystallized a global consensus still in its infancy: artificial intelligence can transform criminal justice, but it must never substitute for human judgment. Six countries — from South Africa to Thailand — laid out strikingly different national strategies for digitizing their courts and law enforcement, yet converged on the same red line. Separately, the IMF announced a new trust fund merging anti-money laundering and anti-corruption work, and the International Olympic Committee flagged AI-enabled corruption as a rising threat to sport.

• Six nations present AI strategies for criminal justice as UNODC pushes for global standards rooted in human oversight
• IMF announces AMLAC trust fund combining anti-money laundering and anti-corruption governance capacity building
• Digital divide dominates debate: South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Thailand warn that AI-enabled justice risks widening inequality without urgent capacity building
• UNESCO's first global ethical framework for AI in courts, issued December 2025, anchors panel consensus that AI must remain assistive
• IOC flags AI and corruption in sport ahead of Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, publishes new IPACS fact sheet

The centerpiece of the session was a sprawling, nearly 75-minute panel on digitalization and responsible AI in criminal justice — the longest and most substantive discussion of the day. Acting Director Brigitte Stroepel-Schaw of UNODC's Division for Treaty Affairs opened by framing the stakes in blunt terms.