The initiative of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation to equate the use of artificial intelligence with aggravating factors has faced strong criticism from the professional community. As Timur Chanyshev, chairman of the "Advokat Premium" bar association, told TASS, the lack of a clear definition of AI threatens to lead to a distortion of law enforcement practice.
The lawyer acknowledged the relevance of the problem: AI is increasingly featured in fraud, deepfakes, and document forgery. However, today, elements of artificial intelligence are embedded in dozens of everyday programs. According to Chanyshev, without a strict formulation, the norm risks becoming a universal argument for the prosecution, allowing for a harsher sentence even for minor acts.
Earlier, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation proposed amendments to Article 63 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs supported the idea. Chanyshev reminded that criminal law always assesses not the instrument, but the intent and the public danger of the act. The mere fact of using new technology does not make the crime more serious, the lawyer concluded. The initiative was first voiced by the advisor to the head of the Investigative Committee on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.