Concern about the proliferation of false information that could have a decisive impact on electoral elections around the world was discussed at the event.
The technological innovation applied to the government is a key factor in the improvement of services offered to citizens, who demand a higher quality of care. For analysts, the so-called digital transition is associated with the very effectiveness of public administration and the functioning of powers.
The impact of artificial intelligence and the use of personal data on Brazilian politics and the judiciary was debated this Monday, 7, at the Fernando Henrique Cardoso Foundation, in São Paulo. For an audience of about 80 people, the speakers were concerned about the proliferation of false information that could have a decisive impact on electoral elections around the world and discussed proposals.
Justice Paulo de Tarso Sanseverino of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) said the Court is working on two artificial intelligence projects – a platform to identify repetitive demands and aid in case management, and another to offer suggestions for decisions, in cases that will later be controlled by people. The second, he said, faces greater resistance. “It’s a difficulty to change an entire mindset.”
The minister opened the event with a history of data regulation and privacy laws in the United States, Europe and Brazil. In 2018, the country approved the new general data protection law (Law 13.709 / 2018), which becomes effective on August 2020.
For lawyer Ronaldo Lemos, a Harvard law doctor and researcher representing the MIT Media Lab in Brazil, the country should invest in greater digitization of public services, as did countries like Estonia and India.
“We have the task of advancing the digital transformation of public power. Government that does not digitize loses the ability to govern”, he said. He also cited the digitization of the Chinese economy, where payments are made by mobile phones. “We cannot waste time, we are being overcome. Uruguay and Chile are already passing Brazil in terms of technology and digitization. Brazil needs to move from being just a big consumer of technology to being a producer of innovation and technology”, he warned.
Lemos stressed that the judiciary’s raw material is information and that technologies can provide solutions to speed up the daily work. He suggested, for example, the creation of virtual assistants for judges, spoke of the promising scenario of startups in the legal area and stated that in Brazil there is a consensus that citizens would like to see more technology being used in public power. “It’s a mission, we have to make the digital transition to even offer better public services to the population.” He cited as examples of success the examples of the governments of Estonia and India.
Fake news
Also a speaker, US Federal Judge Peter Messitte said he does not see legislation today that could reduce the spread of false information. “We have administrative regulation, but this abuse can continue. There will be a number of accusations, but I see no outcome,”he said of the 2020 elections.
Director of the Faculty of Law of FGV-SP, Oscar Vilhena stated that the intensive use of technology creates a “fabulous social management system”, but not only sees positive effects. “The ability to manage people’s lives has become much more effective, but that doesn’t mean it is autonomous.” The information comes from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.