Dr Nicolas Kyriakides in the Rule of Law Conference

Our Procedural Law Director, Dr Nicolas Kyriakides, participated in the Rule of Law Conference held during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026, where discussions focused on the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in democratic institutions and legal systems.

During his address, Dr Kyriakides argued that debates surrounding AI and justice often begin from a flawed assumption that human decision-making is inherently neutral while technology itself represents the primary risk.

“The key comparison, therefore, is not ‘biased AI’ versus ‘neutral humans’. That comparison is false. The real comparison is between human bias and algorithmic bias”, he emphasized.

He noted that judicial and administrative decision-making is inevitably shaped by human factors, including cognitive bias, institutional pressures, inconsistency, and subjective reasoning. In contrast, while algorithmic bias remains a serious concern, AI systems may at least be audited, tested, and subjected to institutional oversight.

He further examined whether AI-assisted adjudication, when combined with transparency, accountability, and meaningful human supervision, could strengthen core rule of law principles such as consistency, fairness, and access to justice.

Dr Kyriakides also referred to ongoing comparative research examining public perceptions of AI-assisted legal processes across multiple European jurisdictions, highlighting that citizens increasingly prioritise fairness and transparency over purely traditional models of decision-making.

The Conference formed part of broader discussions under the Cyprus Presidency on the constitutional challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies within democratic governance.