NAPD Virtual Tech Expo 2026

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping criminal defense practice—not as a future hypothetical, but as a present force driving both the expansion of law enforcement surveillance and the overwhelming growth of defense discovery. This two-part training will help defenders understand how AI-enabled tools are changing the evidentiary landscape and how defense teams can respond thoughtfully, ethically, and effectively.  
Part 2: Defense AI and a Roadmap for Responsible Use
The second session will turn to the defense response. As AI-enabled policing produces more data than defense teams can realistically review using traditional methods, defenders must develop principled ways to evaluate whether, when, and how AI tools can assist with casework. This session will provide a roadmap for thinking through those decisions, beginning with the actual defense problem to be solved rather than the tool itself. We will consider potential defense uses of AI for discovery review, issue spotting, organization, summarization, and litigation support, while also addressing confidentiality, accuracy, bias, privilege, protective orders, client consent, supervision, and ethical obligations. The goal is not to promote AI adoption for its own sake, but to equip defenders with a practical framework for making informed, strategic, and rights-protective decisions in an AI-saturated criminal legal system.