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The Expert Witness
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The Expert Witness

Author: CBC

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From CBC's Uncover. In Akron, Ohio, murder cases that went cold for years are suddenly being solved. But defense attorney Don Malarcik isn’t celebrating; he’s alarmed. The key evidence in these cases is coming from a mysterious AI tool called Cybercheck, a system so secretive that its Canadian founder refuses to explain the details of how the technology actually works. Allegedly, Cybercheck uses open-source data to place suspects at crime scenes without the need for witnesses — and while no one, not even prosecutors, understand how it works — it’s being increasingly embraced by U.S. police services and placing people in prison cells across the country.


As Cybercheck continues to spread, Don teams up with a concerned network of lawyers, investigators, and journalists to unravel what’s really powering this so-called breakthrough in crime-solving. What they find is a tangled story of lies, unvetted tech, and a charismatic Canadian entrepreneur whose invention operates in a black box.


From the makers of Sea of Lies and hosted by Sam Mullins, this season of Uncover asks: what happens when AI enters the courtroom? Who is benefitting from this mysterious technology? And who’s accountable when AI gets it wrong?

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The small city of Akron, Ohio was drowning in unsolved murders. Until one day something happened. And suddenly those cold cases? Started to get closed. A ground breaking Canadian AI technology was coming to the rescue. Tracking criminal behaviour to bring justice where humans had failed. But as the cases stack up, and charges are laid, two lawyers grow skeptical. Human cracks appear in the mysterious new tech. Can the doubters open up this black box and reveal its true workings, before it takes hold across the world? Hosted by Sam Mullins. From CBC's Uncover.
Sam Mullins looks into Cybercheck’s claimed “success stories” and finds they offer little proof of the tool’s reliability. One defense attorney benefited from a Cybercheck report that actually pointed to an alternative suspect, helping reduce charges against her client, while a prosecutor and paid Cybercheck consultant praised the technology despite never using it in court. Journalists’ extensive public records requests and outreach to law enforcement revealed widespread skepticism, failed tests, and unverifiable claims, with no confirmed example of Cybercheck solving a case. The episode also highlights the conviction of Salah Maddi, where Cybercheck testimony appeared to influence the jury despite weak corroborating evidence, raising concerns that unproven AI may have contributed to wrongful convictions. Ultimately, the investigation concludes that Cybercheck has consumed investigators’ time, influenced prosecutions, and spread widely—despite a lack of transparency or clear evidence that it reliably delivers justice.
Mosher explains that his Cybercheck technology was built to analyze open-source internet data using AI to generate investigative “intelligence,” not courtroom evidence. Mosher admits the company failed early on to clearly communicate those limits, allowing prosecutors to use Cybercheck as evidence, and he acknowledges the risks of relying on AI without independent verification. However, he defends the system’s value, denies wrongdoing, and attributes criticism to misunderstandings and aggressive defense attorneys. Despite mounting doubts—including inconsistencies in his claims, refusal to share source code, and questions about peer review—Mosher insists Cybercheck remains useful to law enforcement, while the interview leaves unresolved concerns about its reliability, transparency, and continued use. Mosher tells Sam he needs to speak to the people behind the curtain who are having success with it.
In Midland, Texas, prosecutor Lisa Borden took a different approach with Cybercheck. After closely questioning Adam Mosher and finding Cybercheck lacked peer review and proper authentication, she refused to use it in court, concluding the technology was not scientifically reliable. Sam Mullins’ gets to sit down with Cybercheck creator Adam Moser. Mosher tells him his backstory as a movie buff. He explains that the technology was inspired by crime TV and movies and built with the help of government grants and technology students. And then just as COVID hit, Moser says, Cybercheck started reaching out to its first potential clients. But he wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
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