Experts warn against using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify lies. Psychologist Kristina Suchotzki from the University of Marburg and Matthias Gamer from the University of Würzburg cite as examples in the journal "Trends in Cognitive Sciences" surveys of people wishing to enter the EU at EU borders or of suspects in criminal cases. Suchotzki told the German Press Agency that a corresponding technology has already been tested at the EU's external borders - in Greece, Latvia and Hungary - with reference to the European project for border controls iBorderCtrl.

In general, Suchotzki and gamers mention various problems: AIs are a black box whose judgments cannot be understood from the outside and therefore cannot be verified. There is also a risk of incorrect results and there is a lack of a theoretical foundation, they say.

“The use of artificial intelligence in lie detection is based on the assumption that it is possible to identify a clear indication or a combination of indications that indicate deception,” Suchotzki is quoted as saying in a statement about the study. Even decades of research have not been able to identify such evidence.

“Pinocchio’s nose doesn’t exist outside of books,” emphasizes the duo. There are no valid behavioral indicators that can be used to determine whether someone is telling the truth or not. Psychologists emphasize that traditional lie detectors, which aim to derive the truth of statements from physical reactions such as blood pressure, pulse and breathing, have long been considered unscientific.

Press release original study project IBorderCtrl