Legal Minds, Algorithmic Decisions: How LLMs Apply Constitutional Principles in Complex Scenarios

TL;DR

This study empirically examines GPT-4's interpretation of constitutional principles in complex bioethics cases, revealing a bias towards progressive interpretations and highlighting the importance of alignment testing in legal applications.

Contribution

It provides an empirical analysis of GPT-4's legal reasoning in constitutional contexts, emphasizing biases and the need for careful deployment in decision-making.

Findings

GPT-4 aligns more with progressive constitutional interpretations

The model often overlooks competing values in complex scenarios

Biases in training data influence legal reasoning of LLMs

Abstract

In this paper, we conduct an empirical analysis of how large language models (LLMs), specifically GPT-4, interpret constitutional principles in complex decision-making scenarios. We examine rulings from the Italian Constitutional Court on bioethics issues that involve trade-offs between competing values and compare model-generated legal arguments on these issues to those presented by the State, the Court, and the applicants. Our results indicate that GPT-4 consistently aligns more closely with progressive interpretations of the Constitution, often overlooking competing values and mirroring the applicants' views rather than the more conservative perspectives of the State or the Court's moderate positions. Our experiments reveal a distinct tendency of GPT-4 to favor progressive legal interpretations, underscoring the influence of underlying data biases. We thus underscore the importance of testing alignment in real-world scenarios and considering the implications of deploying LLMs in decision-making processes.