One tragedy shook the city of Tsu, in Mie Prefecture, western Japan, causing the death of a 4-year-old girl.
The shocking news came to light on Tuesday, revealing that the provincial government's decision not to place temporarily in custody was based on an Artificial Intelligence assessment of the circumstances.
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The child's mother, a 42-year-old woman, had been detained by Mie Prefectural Police in June on suspicion of inflicting fatal injuries on her daughter.
However, the system of AI established in 2020 came into play to assess the situation and determine the likelihood of similar cases.
Using data from more than 13,000 historical cases seen at child consultation centers, the system calculated a 39% “arrest rate” for the current case.
Taking into account the fact that the mother had stated that she would follow the advice of the children's consultation center staff, the Provincial authorities chose not to temporarily place the girl in custody, but rather to keep a close eye on the matter.
This decision was made based on the numbers provided by the AI system, but Mie Governor Katsuyuki Ichimi stressed that these numbers are only one parameter and it is still uncertain whether the way the AI system was used to make the decision was completely proper.
A committee will examine the case
Faced with this sad situation, the governor announced that an independent committee of external experts will be formed to look into the case.
A thorough analysis will be made of how the AI system was employed and whether it was appropriate in judging the situation. This measure aims to ensure that similar mistakes are not repeated in the future.
In addition, on Tuesday, the Mie Prefectural government released a plan for child consultation centers to conduct home visits and visually assess the safety of all children.
It was discovered that the child care center had not checked the 4-year-old girl's safety for over a year, since she stopped attending daycare.
This tragic loss of an innocent life raised questions about the use of Artificial Intelligence in making such delicate decisions.
While the AI system can provide valuable data, it is clear that careful and sensitive human judgment is critical to ensuring the protection and well-being of children.
Authorities are now committed to learning from this terrible experience and implementing measures to ensure the safety of children in Mie Prefecture.