Why HashShot Matters

2025 is predicted to be the last year that humans generate the most data. By 2026, most data in the world will be AI-generated.

The Problem

As AI adoption becomes more widespread, electronic evidence is at increasing risk of manipulation. AI will only get better - faster, cheaper, easier to use, more widely available, and more convincing.

I anticipate 3 developments arising from this:

  1. Rise of unreliable electronic evidence: AI will be used to tamper with or generate false electronic evidence. This will occur with increasing frequency as AI becomes "better" (easier to use, cheaper, faster, more widely available, and more convincing).
  2. More forensic investigations: The number of forensic investigations into authenticity of electronic evidence will rise, albeit not at the same rate due to the high cost of such investigations. Forensic investigations will not be suitable for many disputes, such as those involving small quantums of damages.
  3. More frequent challenges over integrity of electronic evidence: Litigants will challenge the integrity of electronic evidence more frequently. Courts will face challenges in assessing how reliable electronic evidence is.

The Call to Action

As an industry, we cannot wait until unreliable electronic evidence pervades the Courts and impedes the administration of justice.

The risk is real. The clock is ticking. The search for simpler, cheaper, faster, more scalable solutions to prove the integrity of electronic evidence must begin now.

I believe cryptographic proofs are a viable path forward and developed the HashShot ecosystem to demonstrate how this approach can be applied in our industry. It doesn't solve every problem, but it's a start.

If you are keen to collaborate on R&D in this area, please reach out to me by email or on LinkedIn.

About the HashShot Ecosystem

HashShot creates a cryptographic fingerprint (hash) of evidence at the moment of capture. This hash is immediately anchored on a blockchain, creating an immutable timestamp and proof of integrity.

Any alteration to the evidence or its metadata, no matter how small, will result in a completely different hash, making tampering mathematically detectable.

Data of the user and of the electronic evidence itself is not captured or written to the blockchain, nor does it need to be. The only data written to the blockchain is the hash, a string of seemingly random alphanumeric characters resulting from the hashing process - entirely unique and impossible to reverse engineer.

The Impact

For Litigants

Present unassailable electronic evidence in disputes.

For Enforcement

Prove the integrity of electronic evidence chain of custody throughout the investigation process.

For Law Firms

Adduce electronic evidence that stands up to scrutiny in court proceedings.

For Courts

Confidence in the integrity of cryptographically verifiable electronic evidence, backed by mathematical certainty.

For Administration of Justice

Ensure the full and proper administration of justice, built on confidence and trust in the integrity of electronic evidence.

About the author

I'm Dharma, a former law firm partner turned Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel of Stability. I love being a lawyer. My profession has given me countless opportunities to help others. To encourage tech adoption and give back to the legal community, I serve on multiple tech-oriented committees of the Law Society of Singapore and independently build free tools for the legal industry in my spare time.