Doing the Detain/Release simulation turned out to be more interesting than I expected. Even though it was just an exercise, making decisions about someone’s freedom felt heavy. What surprised me most was how quickly I started relying almost entirely on the risk assessments, almost like I was an algorithm myself.
If someone had a high chance of committing a crime or acting violently, I detained them without much hesitation. The “failure to appear” score didn’t really influenced me. I saw it as annoying but not dangerous. Because of that, a couple of the people I released ended up showing up in fake newspaper notices for committing new crimes, which made the whole thing feel uncomfortably realistic.
I also realized how fast I dismissed the defendants’ personal statements. I kept thinking, “Of course they’re going to say whatever helps them get out,” so I didn’t take their words very seriously. Same with the prosecution’s statements. I also didn’t really pay attention to age or other personal details, including the distorted pictures. The risk assessments felt more trustworthy than what the humans said, even though I knew those could be biased or misleading.
The simulation really made me think about how powerful AI-informed decision making can be, and how easily it can push people to ignore context. It’s scary how quickly I shifted into a mindset where the “safe” choice was detaining people just because the data suggested a risk. It showed me how easily a judge (or anyone) could start thinking like an algorithm without even meaning to. It was a good reminder that data can be helpful, but it can also overshadow the human side of things if we’re not careful. At the end, when the simulation showed that my “jail capacity” and “fear” levels were about even, I weirdly felt like I had “succeeded,” even though I knew my decisions were heavily shaped by trying to avoid risk rather than thinking about fairness.
Disclaimer: This task has been refined with the assistance of ChatGPT. I used AI to assist with refinement, but all ideas and reflections are my own. https://chatgpt.com/