CJI Says AI May Augment Judicial Intelligence Without Replacing Judicial Conscience
Surya Kant says courts should use technology to widen access while keeping decisions and accountability in human hands.
Topics
News
- Temasek, Seraphim Back Pixxel in $100 Million Round
- UN Rights Chief Warns Advanced AI Could Threaten Humanity
- Tata-owned JLR to Cut About 4,000 Bobs Amid Tariff, China Pressure
- Anthropic Walks Away From $6 Billion Decart Deal
- Hyundai India Targets 20% Women in Executive Workforce by 2030
- Security Breach Drains $320 Million in Bitcoin From Liquid Network
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday said artificial intelligence could support judges and improve court administration but must not replace human judgment.
Kant was speaking at a Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association lecture on the future of justice delivery.
“Artificial intelligence may augment judicial intelligence, without replacing the judicial conscience,” Kant said.
AI could help courts process records, conduct research and manage cases, but decisions requiring reasoning, empathy and an understanding of context must remain with judges, the Chief Justice said.
Technology should make courts more accessible and responsive without weakening transparency or accountability, he added.
The comments come as Indian courts increasingly use digital systems for filing cases, accessing records, conducting hearings and managing proceedings. The Chief Justice said the objective of that shift should be to make courts easier to access and more responsive rather than adopting technology for its own sake.
The comments extend a position Kant has taken at several recent judicial forums as India expands digital filing, virtual hearings, case-management systems and AI-assisted tools.
At a March seminar in Bengaluru, Kant said AI could handle large volumes of records, identify patterns and reduce procedural delays, but must not encroach on the judicial function of deciding cases.
“The final stage of the judicial process, pronouncement of judgments, must remain firmly in human hands,” he said.
Kant made a similar argument at the Oxford Union in June, saying AI could process legal material and streamline administrative work but lacked the empathy, ethical discernment and contextual understanding required in judicial decision-making.
India’s e-Courts program, launched in 2007, has moved much of the judicial process online, allowing lawyers and litigants to file documents, obtain orders, consult cause lists, track cases and attend some hearings remotely.
Surya Kant contrasted the current system with his early years as a lawyer, when advocates had to physically check cause lists across courtrooms. Lawyers can now access case schedules and track proceedings remotely through digital platforms, he said.
Online mediation has also reduced the time and cost involved in resolving some disputes, according to the Chief Justice.
As courts consider wider use of AI, however, Surya Kant said judicial independence and accountability should remain central to the design of technology used in the legal system.
“Human oversight, judicial independence, transparency, and accountability must therefore remain at the heart of every technological innovation that we adopt,” he said.
The judiciary is also strengthening safeguards after legal professionals and adjudicatory bodies relied on fabricated cases generated by AI.
In July, the Supreme Court set aside tribunal decisions that cited six nonexistent or inaccurate authorities and said courts must retain “absolute control” over the use of AI in adjudication.
