Asia-Pacific risks widening justice gaps without action on AI, UNDP warns

New report calls for countries to harness AI technology to expand justice access, while ensuring human oversight, transparency and accountability

June 22, 2026

Blue promotional banner with two book covers and a 'READ NOW' button.

Bangkok, 22 June 2026 — Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used across justice systems in Asia and the Pacific, but countries need stronger safeguards to ensure the technology improves access to justice rather than deepening inequality, according to a new report released by the United Nations Development Programme.

The report, titled “The Algorithm in the Courtroom”, finds that AI tools — including case management systems, legal chatbots, translation software and predictive applications — are already in use across courts, police services and legal aid programmes in the region. The rapid adoption offers potential to expand access to justice, particularly in places where legal systems are overstretched. At the same time, without clear rules and oversight, the technology could reinforce existing disparities and weaken key legal protections.

"AI is already in the courtroom — and most systems are not yet ready," according to the report.

The scale of the opportunity is significant. An estimated 1.5 billion people globally cannot resolve their legal problems. In Asia and the Pacific, where many communities face barriers related to distance, cost and language, AI is beginning to show what is possible: in Viet Nam, the court’s legal virtual assistant, trained on more than 1.3 million judgments, has logged over three million uses and is credited with cutting judicial workload by up to 30 per cent; in the Philippines, an AI transcription pilot cut transcription time by 50 per cent on average — up to 80 per cent in some courts — while improving accuracy from 70 to as high as 95 per cent, even across mixed-language proceedings. A nationwide rollout is now underway; and in India, assessments on ethical and fair adoption in courts, supported by UNDP in partnerships with Digital Futures Lab and DAKSH, have helped inform Supreme Court guidelines on AI use.

The market is responding fast. Asia-Pacific legal technology is projected to more than double, from roughly US$5 billion in 2023 to over US$11 billion by 2030, making it the fastest-growing region in the world for legal tech investment.

"AI has a great potential to help make justice systems faster, more accessible, and responsive to people’s needs. UNDP is working with partners across the region to support its responsible use. But how we govern and use this rapidly evolving technology will determine if justice remains within everyone’s reach" said Beate Trankmann, UNDP's deputy regional director for Asia and the Pacific.

The report warns that countries are introducing new technologies faster than legal and regulatory systems can adapt. Globally, 67 per cent of countries score below 25 out of 100 on measures of responsible AI governance, highlighting critical gaps in rules covering data protection, accountability and transparency.

The risks are unevenly distributed. An estimated 150 million adults in Southeast Asia, a third of the adult population, remain digitally excluded, raising the risk that AI-enabled justice bypasses the very people who need it most. The report warns of "algorithmic exclusion," where people who are not well represented in digital data, including rural communities, women, marginalised groups, are least likely to benefit.

The training gap compounds the problem. A UNESCO survey across 96 countries found that 44 per cent of judicial operators already use AI tools in their work, yet only 9 per cent have received any institutional training or guidance. Seventy-three per cent say they want mandatory regulation.

The report also flags risks from generative AI tools, which can produce incorrect or fabricated legal information if not properly verified — a particular concern in legal proceedings where accuracy is fundamental.

Across the region, judiciaries themselves are emerging as the primary norm-setters of the algorithmic age. Courts and judicial bodies in at least ten Asia-Pacific jurisdictions have issued, mandated or are formally consulting on AI guidance, often ahead of their own national legislatures. These frameworks consistently hold that decisions affecting people's rights must remain under human control, and that justice cannot be delegated to algorithms.

The report calls for clear prohibitions on fully automated decisions affecting liberty or legal status, real-time biometric surveillance for general monitoring, social scoring systems, and similar profiling tools.

The report is accompanied by a policy guide, Responsible AI in Justice, which provides practical recommendations for governments and development partners. It sets out decision-making frameworks and tools for applying AI in justice systems, including country-specific entry points and a roadmap for implementation.

The report was launched coinciding with a regional dialogue on the use of artificial intelligence in justice systems in Bangkok, reflecting growing collaboration among courts across Asia and the Pacific. It highlights how judiciaries are increasingly sharing experiences and frameworks, learning from one another and adapting approaches to local contexts rather than relying solely on models from outside the region.

In a field where the stakes are high and the pace of change is rapid, courts are emerging as early norm-setters, shaping how AI is governed in practice.

Media contact: