The cast of CSI makes it seem easy to determine the time of death of a corpse. But it’s actually a lot harder than you think. In fact, there are no real tools to determine exactly when a person died, but a new AI-powered crime scene investigation tool could soon change that.

The tool is called geoFOR and it is part database of information gathered from previously discovered bodies and part AI-powered tool that can capture details about new case, then determine the time of death of the bodies involved. The tool is currently in development, with two scientists from Clemson University working to improve its capabilities.

Hudson Smith, one of these two scientists, is working on the technical aspect of the new AI CSI tool. He said he was shocked to learn that the tools and ease of determining time of death in TV shows and movies are far from realistic. For this reason, he believed that a tool should be available to help ensure that this determination was not limited to a simple “gut feeling”.

Katherine Weisensee, who also works on geoFOR and has previously consulted with police forces, says using AI and data found in geoFOR can help improve these predictions. So far it seems to work pretty well. The tool has been loaded with data from over 3,200 cases, making it more accurate and adaptable.

To calculate the time of death, the AI ​​crime scene investigation tool takes data such as the precise location of the body, its estimated size, and even details on whether it was found at indoors or outdoors, as well as the condition in which it was found, to determine the time. of death. It also examines whether maggots are visible, whether flies or beetles are present, as well as other simple medical questions.

So far, researchers have detailed geoFOR’s capabilities in a preprinted study on arXiv. It is still far from being widely used to determine time to death in active cases. However, having a tool like this shows how useful AI can be in the right circumstances. Of course, this type of AI is a little different from the AI ​​we see powering futuristic AI butlers or even the latest ChatGPT templatesbecause he is trained to do a specific thing, which makes him much more focused.