AI helps clear cannabis conviction backlog

An algorithm which speeds up the process of removing eligible marijuana convictions from people’s criminal records in the state of California has been developed.

Non-profit organisation Code for America, which created the algorithm, explains that it can take more than 15 minutes to review one criminal record manually, but the software is able to check thousands of records within a few minutes.

Marijuana was legalised in the state in 2016 and those convicted of cannabis offences that would no longer be illegal can now apply to have them removed from their record.

BBC North America technology reporter Dave Lee reports.

Filmed and edited by Cody Godwin