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ENFSI AI Position Paper

Definition

The 2023 European Network of Forensic Science Institutes policy document specifying that AI tools used in forensic casework must have published blind-test validation, documented uncertainty estimates, human oversight, and court-disclosure transparency.

Publisher
ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes)
Year
2023
Requires
Published blind-test validation of the AI tool
Also requires
Documented uncertainty estimates and human oversight
Discloses
Requires court-disclosure transparency

Common questions

Why does the paper insist on blind-test validation specifically?+

A blind test evaluates the tool on cases where the correct answer is withheld from the examiner and, ideally, from the developers during testing, which screens out performance figures inflated by tuning the system to known answers.

Does the position paper apply outside ENFSI member laboratories?+

It is written specifically for ENFSI member institutes across Europe, and it is not binding on laboratories or courts outside that network. Its validation, uncertainty-reporting, and disclosure principles nonetheless overlap with wider AI-governance guidance such as the EU AI Act, so a non-member laboratory can use it as a reference model without being obligated to follow it.

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