About This Episode
The Canadian podcast series Uncover returns in 2026 with a new season called The Expert Witness, in which seasoned host Sam Mullins turns his attention to one of the most pressing questions in criminal justice today: what happens when artificial intelligence takes the stand?
Uncover is produced by CBC Podcasts and has, since its debut, built a solid reputation as one of the most thorough and well-crafted true crime podcasts in the English-speaking world. Previous seasons have explored cult cases, police corruption and sex crimes — always with a journalistic approach that places documentation above drama.
AI in the dock
The Expert Witness is not built around a single case, but around a systemic problem that is steadily growing: the use of AI-generated analysis, algorithmic risk assessments and machine-learning-based evidence in courtrooms around the world. These technologies are increasingly being used to predict reoffending rates, analyse surveillance footage, match voices and faces — and, in some instances, directly influence verdicts.
Mullins examines how courts grapple with evidence that no human being can fully explain — the so-called black-box algorithms, where even the developers cannot precisely account for how the system arrives at its conclusion. That raises fundamental questions about the rule of law and due process: can you cross-examine an algorithm? And who bears responsibility when an AI gets it wrong?
A global phenomenon with local consequences
Although The Expert Witness is a Canadian production, its themes speak directly to realities elsewhere in the world. Across Europe, the use of surveillance technology in criminal proceedings is under active debate, and the EU's AI Act, which came into force in 2024, now sets transparency requirements for systems used in law enforcement.
Many European countries — including Denmark — have experimented with or considered algorithmic tools for purposes such as assessing the risk posed by released prisoners, deploying facial recognition in public spaces and automatically analysing digital traces from suspects' devices. The Expert Witness offers listeners a unique look at what can go wrong when technology outpaces legislation.
Uncover: An established true crime brand
For true crime listeners who have not yet encountered Uncover, the series' standing is worth emphasising. The podcast has received numerous awards and widespread recognition for its journalistic quality, and it is one of the few true crime formats that consistently avoids sensationalism in favour of in-depth research.
In previous seasons, Sam Mullins has demonstrated a rare ability to explain complex systems and institutional failures in ways that are accessible without being reductive. That approach appears set to continue in The Expert Witness, where technical material on machine learning and algorithmic decision-making is conveyed through concrete court cases and individual human stories.
Why does this matter now?
At a time when AI deepfakes and automated systems are making inroads into more and more areas of public life, the question of AI's role in the justice system is no longer an abstract debate about technology — it is a question of who gets convicted, and on what grounds. The Expert Witness arrives at a moment when the world is beginning to reckon seriously with the consequences of entrusting parts of justice to machines.
The series is available on Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.
