OSCE and international experts address use of AI at Congress of Asian Constitutional Courts

On 1-2 October, Constitutional court judges and experts from more than 20 countries met in Samarkand for the Seventh Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions. 

More than 100 participants discussed how digital tools and AI could help courts work more efficiently while protecting people’s rights and judicial independence. 

Uzbekistan holds the presidency of the Association for the 2025-02027 term. The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan supported the organization of the Congress as part of its ongoing co-operation with the Constitutional Court of Uzbekistan.

In his remarks to the Congress, Ambassador Antti Karttunen, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, highlighted both the opportunities and risks of AI, including mistakes and bias that can affect people’s rights. He stressed that the use of AI must not weaken people’s right to a fair trial or their ability to understand and challenge decisions affecting them.

Professor Janneke Gerards, a Councillor at the Council of State of the Netherlands, spoke of the need to carefully weigh the benefits of AI against the possible loss of important human interactions. She advocated adaptive forms of regulation that can be changed easily in response to technological advancements.

The forum concluded with the adoption of the Samarkand Declaration, which established a co-operative roadmap for sustainable and rights-centred constitutional justice in the digital age.