examining the potential challenges | 10.1163/22131035-14020001
15
actual records existed. In contrast, searches associated with white persons did
not prompt such advertisements.74
In State of Wisconsin v Loomis, the Wisconsin Supreme Court assessed whether
the use of an algorithmic risk assessment tool to determine if the defendant
could be supervised within the community rather than detained violated the
defendant’s right to due process. As the court noted, risk scores are intended to
predict the general likelihood that those with a similar history of offending are
either less likely or more likely to commit another crime following release from
custody. However, the court found that the risk assessment used in this case did
not predict the specific likelihood that an individual offender will reoffend.75
Instead, it provided a prediction based on a comparison of information about
the individual to a similar data group (African-America) as it was more likely to
falsely predict that they would reoffend compared to white defendants.76
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (uscis) uses
Asylum Text Analytics, an ai tool to identify fraud in asylum applications.
This tool employs machine learning to identify plagiarism-based fraud in
applications for asylum. The technology scans the narrative text of applications
and looks for duplicate language repeated across applications. It flags when
applicants’ stories do not align. uscis states that the machine reviews
an applicant’s narrative not only individually but also compared with other
applicants’ narratives. The tool can be susceptible to discrimination against
those applicants who do not speak English well.77
Regarding bias leading to discrimination, Chen asserts that the idea that ai
processes are inherently ‘objective’ and ‘neutral’ is a misconception.78 Despite
ai’s sophistication, the systems can still be classified as ‘garbage-in-garbageout’ since they are unable to distinguish between a biased and unbiased
dataset.79 Consequently, the system might automate systemic and implicit
bias that might pass for neutrality while posing as algorithm objectivity.80
Therefore, algorithms risk aggravating human biases in decision-making.
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
Zhisheng Chen, ‘Ethics and Discrimination in Artificial Intelligence-enabled Recruitment
Practices’ (2023) 10 Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 6.
State v Loomis, 881 n.w.2d 749 (wis. 2016) (2017)130(2) Havard Law Review <https://harvard
lawreview.org/print/vol-130/state-v-loomis/> accessed 30 September 2025.
Ibid.
Julie Mao and others, ‘Automating Deportation: The Artificial Intelligence Behind the
Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Intelligence Behind Immigration
Enforcement Regime’ June 2024 <https://mijente.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06
/Automating-Deportation.pdf> accessed 30 September 2025, 23.
Chen, (n 74) at 2.
Awotula, (n 2) at 17.
Ibid.
International Human Rights Law Review (2025) 1–31