On Potential Use of Artificial Intelligence and Its Technologies in Forensic Handwriting Examination

Abstract

An undeniable trend in modern scientific and technological development is the integration of artificial intelligence systems into various spheres of human life and activity. Forensic handwriting analysis is also in the focus of scientific community as a potential application area for the related neural networks as evidenced by numerous publications and emerging software products. However, alongside the attractive prospects of error-free “machine intelligence” use in handwriting examinations, a number of fundamentally important questions arise related to both the specific nature of the primary object of examination the phenomenon of handwriting and the procedural status of a forensic expert in legal proceedings and his expert opinion as a source of evidentiary information in the case. Therefore, this area of scientific and practical knowledge requires not a mere adoption and application of new technologies but rather their in-depth understanding through the prism of scientific and theoretical basics of forensic handwriting analysis and the procedural significance of forensic examination results. Taking into account the above, this paper attempts to provide a competent analysis of the current situation in terms of feasibility of artificial intelligence systems and its technologies application in forensic handwriting examinations.