ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ADOPTION AND JUDICIAL FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The study ascertained the relationship between artificial intelligence adoption and judicial forensic investigations performance in Rivers State. The objective of the study was to empirically unravel how artificial intelligence adoption relates with judicial forensic investigations performance in Rivers State in terms of accuracy and objectivity. The study adopted the cross-sectional explanatory survey research design. The target population of the study consisted of accessible two hundred and nine (209) respondents, which consisted of judicial officers, law enforcement officers, forensic analysts and IT experts, public prosecutors and legal practitioners, and court clerks and registrars, across Rivers State who are directly involved in handling computer forensics in the judicial system. The sample size of the study consisted of the entire population of two hundred and nine (209) respondents in the State. Hence, the study was a census research. The test of hypotheses was done using Pearson Product Moment Correlation through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0. Drawn from the analysis of data carried out, the study revealed that there is a very strong positive relationship between artificial intelligence adoption and judicial forensic investigations performance in Rivers State, especially in terms of accuracy and objectivity. The study concluded that adopting artificial intelligence has a strong and positive relationship with judicial forensic investigations, particularly in strengthening evidentiary accuracy, neutrality, and credibility. Among others, the study recommended that judicial institutions in Rivers State should invest strategically in advanced AI-driven forensic tools, such as machine learning algorithms for evidence classification, digital trace analysis, and pattern recognition, to enhance the precision and reliability of evidentiary findings.