The artificial intelligence in autopsy and crime scene analysis

Abstract

Background: In the evolving field of forensic medicine, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may revolutionize traditional autopsy practices by enhancing the precision and efficiency of postmortem examinations.

Methods: A review of the literature was carried out on the Pub-med and Scopus search engines by inserting the keywords "artificial intelligence" AND "forensic" AND ("autopsy" OR "crime scene management" OR "forensic odontology" OR "post mortem interval" OR "forensic anthropology" OR "forensic sciences"). The works that analyzed the applications of artificial intelligence in the forensic and autopsy field were analyzed.

Conclusion: The results showed the application of different forms of artificial intelligence such as machine learning, deep learning, robotics, artificial neural networks. Various applications are therefore possible in the autopsy field including forensic identification, analysis of radiological data through Virtopsy, estimation of the weapon used through analysis of firearm damage with ballistics, estimation of the Post-Mortem Interval (PMI), forensic toxicology. AI's potential to aid in the precise identification of causes of death, estimation of postmortem intervals. With forensic pathologists facing the constant challenge of making accurate diagnoses under pressure, AI applications can offer much-needed support by reducing subjective judgment and the inherent human error due to fatigue. Therefore, the integration of AI into autopsies, while promising in terms of efficiency and accuracy, demands a careful balance between technological advancement and ethical responsibility to ensure trust and integrity in forensic practices.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; autopsy; forensic sciences.