Henry Prakken appointed as Professor of AI & Law

of AI & Law Henry Prakken - Henry Prakken has been appointed as a professor of AI & Law at the Faculty of Science at the University of Utrecht, starting from September 15th. In his research and teaching, Prakken focuses on ways in which AI technologies can support various professionals, including judges, lawyers, prosecutors, as well as crime investigators and citizens. The ultimate goal is to create an efficient and transparent legal system. The use of AI techniques in the field of law has been on the rise, with algorithms attempting to detect fraud and predict criminal activities or judicial rulings. One common issue with many of these algorithms, as Prakken points out, is that they function as black boxes. He states: "An algorithm that predicts a certain outcome but does not provide insights into the legal reasoning behind that prediction is of no use to a judge. I am interested in how we can design algorithms in a way that aligns with legal requirements regarding explainability." In his research, Prakken focuses on techniques such as machine learning, language technology, and argumentation technology.