In Estonia, computers already make some decisions on their own. For example, they calculate income tax refunds or determine child benefits. The system checks the child's age and residence and calculates the benefit. An official does not need to do this manually.
Currently, there is no law that allows such automation. The Ministry of Justice now wants to write into law which decisions robots can make. For example, robots could determine tax fines or library fines.
Margreth Adamson, an advisor at the Ministry of Justice, said that clear rules can be given to robots. For example, how much a payment is overdue or if it is a recurring error. In simpler cases, decisions can be made by machines.
If a robot makes a negative decision about a person, the state must hear the person. For example, if a robot imposes a fine, the person will have 10-14 days to protest. If the person disagrees, an official will make the decision.
In some cases, the person does not need to be heard. For example, if the decision does not affect the person's rights. This could be a simple data update or a technical change.
The person always has the right to speak to an official. If a person does not want an automatic decision to be made about them, they can say so. This is especially important for older or less digitally competent people.
Robots do not make more complex decisions. For example, detailed planning decisions require a person. Also, robots cannot review contested decisions. An official must do this.
The biggest risk is incorrect data. If the data is wrong, the robot will also make the wrong decision. Therefore, people must keep their data up to date.
Institutions must find the money for new systems themselves. Initially, the costs are high, but in the long run, it saves money. Robots help officials do their work faster.
The number of officials is not planned to be reduced. Robots help reduce the burden of simple decisions. This gives officials time for more complex tasks.
The Ministry of Justice believes that the changes will help make services faster and better. It also strengthens trust in the government.