AI's Role in Identifying the Dead: A New Forensic Frontier

Identifying those who have passed away can be a critical step in solving mass disasters, wartime incidents, or forensic cases. Forensic anthropologists play a key role by establishing a biological profile of the deceased. This includes figuring out their sex, age, height, ancestral background, and even their DNA. Getting these details right can really speed up an investigation. On the flip side, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making waves in various fields these days. This piece aims to shine a light on how AI can help forecast these identification parameters more precisely and quickly. Scientists combed through databases like PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect to see how AI, machine learning, and deep learning algorithms are used in identifying disaster victims and in forensic work. The future looks promising as AI and anthropological concepts merge, offering a clearer picture of the lives of deceased individuals.