The study aimed to analyse the European experience of investigating criminal offences in the field of official activity and the peculiarities of its adaptation to the Ukrainian context. The study employed a combination of case study methods, formal legal analysis, content analysis, comparative legal analysis, contextual analysis and PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal) analysis. The analysis of international experience was conducted in the context of European Union member states that have successfully established effective systems for investigating crimes in the public sector, including Germany, France and Poland. The study found that the approaches and strategies implemented in Ukraine have several shortcomings that significantly reduce the effectiveness of criminal investigations, including a widening gap between the number of registered offences and the number of notices of suspicion served. The reason for the identified discrepancy is the lack of coordination between the subjects of criminal investigations, as well as the lack of transparency of the investigation process and accountability of the parties involved. To overcome these shortcomings, the study recommended adapting the German experience in the field of round-the-clock interaction between the subjects of a criminal investigation, which guarantees quick access to information and prompt permission to conduct investigative actions. Adaptation of the French experience in conducting investigations was recommended to ensure cross-control of the investigation subjects and improve the efficiency of their work. The Polish experience of utilizing electronic resources in criminal proceedings was recommended to enhance interdisciplinary cooperation among the parties involved in the investigation. Adopting the best international practices can be used to enhance the detection statistics of criminal offences and increase public confidence in the country’s system for investigating and prosecuting criminal misconduct in office.

This article is a proof-of-concept that archaeologists can now disseminate archaeological topics to the public easily and cheaply through video games in teaching situations or in museum or heritage communication. We argue that small but realistic, interactive, and immersive closed- or open-world 3D video games about cultural heritage with unscripted (but guardrailed) oral conversation can now be created by beginners with free software such as Unreal Engine, Reality Capture, and Convai. Thus, developing tailor-made “archaeogames” is now becoming extremely accessible, empowering heritage specialists and researchers to control audiovisual dissemination in museums and education. This unlocks new uses for 3D photogrammetry, currently mostly used for documentation, and could make learning about the past more engaging for a wider audience. Our case study is a small game with two levels, one built around 3D-scanned Neolithic long dolmens in a forest clearing and an archaeologist and a prehistoric person, who are both conversational AI characters. We later added a more open level with autonomous animals, a meadow, and a cave with a shaman guiding the player around specific cave paintings. We tested the first level on players from different backgrounds whose feedback showed great promise. Finally, we discuss ethical issues and future perspectives for this format.

The intelligible world of machines and predictive modelling is an omnipresent and almost inescapable phenomenon. It is an evolution where human intelligence is being supported, supplemented or superseded by artificial intelligence (AI). Decisions once made by humans are now made by machines, learning at a faster and more accurate rate through algorithmic calculations. Jurisprudent academia has undertaken to argue the proposition of AI and its role as a decision-making mechanism in Australian criminal jurisdictions. This paper explores this proposition through predictive modelling of 101 bail decisions made in three criminal courts in the State of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Indicatively, the models’ statistical performance and accuracy, based on nine predictor variables, proved effective. The more accurate logistic regression model achieved 78% accuracy and a performance value of 0.845 (area under the curve; AUC), while the classifier model achieved 72.5% accuracy and a performance value of 0.702 (AUC). These results provide the groundwork for AI-generated bail decisions being piloted in the NSW jurisdiction and possibly others within Australia.

The relevance of the study stems from the complexity and multifaceted nature of the mechanisms that determine the content of legislative and law enforcement activities in modern States. The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of international legal aspects related to the protection of human rights and freedoms in the law enforcement practices of post-Soviet States. Among the methodological approaches used are theoretical, functional, formal legal and dogmatic approaches, as well as the method of synthesis, logical analysis and others. The international legal content of the categories of rights that offer an avenue for citizens to access justice has been analysed and elaborated upon. An analysis of the European Court of Human Rights’ handling of appeals concerning violations of the right to a fair trial and the right to access justice has been conducted. Having analysed the legal foundations and principles of international law, the provisions and acts of an international instrument for the protection of human and civil rights were cited. A systematic failure to enforce court decisions has been identified as a major concern, in breach of the guaranteed right to seek the protection of one’s rights and interests before international bodies and organizations. Equally important is the exploration of the feasibility of introducing artificial intelligence into the judiciary’s work to provide a mechanism for protecting fundamental human rights. The practical value of the findings offers insight into the means to reinforce the international legal aspects of protecting fundamental human rights in an integrative environment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into sentencing within the criminal justice system. This research examines the impact of AI on sentencing, addressing the challenges and opportunities for fairness and justice. The main problem explored is AI’s potential to perpetuate biases, undermining fair-trial principles. This study intends to assess AI’s influence on sentencing, identify legal and ethical challenges, and propose a framework for equitable AI use in judicial decisions. Key research questions include: (1) How does AI influence sentencing decisions? (2) What concerns arise from AI in sentencing? (3) What safeguards can mitigate those concerns and prejudices? Utilizing qualitative methodology, including doctrinal analysis and comparative studies, the research reveals AI’s potential to enhance sentencing efficiency but also to risk reinforcing biases. The study recommends robust regulatory frameworks, transparency in AI algorithms, and judicial oversight to ensure AI supports justice rather than impedes it, advocating for a balanced integration that prioritizes human rights and fairness.

The reconstruction and representation of ancient artifacts and scenes through illustration is a cornerstone in the communication of archaeological findings. Sketches of the past have transformed over time, incorporating broader technological changes, from photography to the digital tools that have become prevalent through the twenty-first century. Most recently, developments in generative artificial intelligence (AI) promise to reshape the way we represent the past to professional and public audiences. This article shows how to use an accessible and inexpensive artificial intelligence platform to generate complex archaeological illustrations. As a case study, we create multiple scenes representing competing hypotheses about Neanderthal behavior. Using the images to visually communicate alternative hypotheses, we demonstrate how archaeological illustration using artificial intelligence promises to democratize the production of visual representations of the past.

Artificial intelligence can bring benefits to legal practice, providing agility and precision. It can allow judicial decisions to be the result of the combination of algorithms, enabling the development of a system based on machine learning. This article seeks to demonstrate the current state of the use of artificial intelligence in the Brazilian justice system with the impact of the development of a deep learning system, merely the result of the automation of textual analyses of legal cases, which now serve as models. Reflection is more than necessary given the ethical issues that can arise in view of the inherent precepts that are usually impregnated in the judicial function. Civil servants, lawyers, prosecutors and judges should be guided by a pertinent regulation of new technologies and reflect on whether judicial decisions would be the result of human thinking or not, in addition to the risk that they can carry when the models are biased, in good or bad faith, due to erroneous classification or misinformation in the system.