Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasizes AI's role as an assistant in justice, warning against its use in decision-making.
New Delhi, India Jul 12, 2026 ALN: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday (July 11, 2026) clarified that Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be used only for procedural convenience and not in actual judging. The role of AI is only that of an assistant, and not a judge. This statement reflects a growing concern among legal professionals and scholars about the implications of integrating AI into the judicial system, particularly regarding the reliability and accountability of AI-generated outputs.
The CJI’s caution comes amid recent judgments and observations from within the highest court about the dangers of blind reliance on AI. As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, the legal profession is grappling with how to incorporate these innovations while maintaining the integrity and fairness of judicial processes. AI technologies have the potential to streamline various aspects of legal work, such as document review, legal research, and case management. However, the risk of errors, particularly those stemming from AI hallucinations—where AI generates plausible-sounding but incorrect or fictitious outputs—has raised significant alarm.
Earlier this month, a Bench headed by Justice P.S. Narasimha found that a Tribunal had relied on AI-hallucinated verdicts to decide a real case. This incident underscores the critical need for human oversight in judicial proceedings. The apex court advocated ‘zero-tolerance’ to blind reliance on machine intelligence, while highlighting that such sloppiness would spell catastrophe to the judicial process itself. The importance of human judgment in the legal system cannot be overstated, as the nuances of law often require a level of interpretation and understanding that AI is currently unable to provide.
In recent months, Supreme Court judges, including Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Dipankar Datta, have remarked in open court that they encountered AI-generated hallucinations and citations to non-existent case laws in legal petitions, including a fictitious case titled ‘Mercy versus Mankind’. These instances illustrate the potential pitfalls of relying on AI in legal contexts, where accuracy and precision are paramount. The emergence of such issues raises questions about the adequacy of existing regulatory frameworks to manage the integration of AI technologies into the judiciary.
Chief Justice Kant said the real question that needed to be asked was not whether India should embrace these tools or not. The CJI indicated that the pertinent point of discussion should be the need for legislative clarity and human oversight. As AI technologies become more prevalent in various sectors, including law, there is an urgent need to establish clear guidelines and regulations governing their use. This would help ensure that the judicial system can benefit from technological advancements without compromising the principles of justice.
“The embracing exercise is already under way and cannot sensibly be resisted. It is whether we build the legislative clarity and the human oversight that ensures these platforms widen access to justice rather than narrow it, for exactly the people least equipped to question an algorithm’s output,” Chief Justice Kant said in his address at a summit organised by the Indian Institute of Arbitration and Mediation. This statement highlights the dual nature of technology's impact on justice—while it holds the potential to enhance access to legal resources, it also risks exacerbating inequalities if not implemented thoughtfully.
Drawing the line on the use of AI in justice administration, the CJI said that AI may triage a dispute, organise evidence, or draft a first translation. These functions can be incredibly beneficial in reducing the administrative burden on legal professionals, allowing them to focus on more complex aspects of cases. However, Chief Justice Kant made it clear that the moment AI begins to weigh one party’s equities against that of another, it has stopped assisting and started deciding, and no algorithm has yet earned the ability or authority to do that quietly. This distinction is crucial, as it emphasizes the need to maintain the role of human judges in making determinations that affect people's lives and rights.
The Chief Justice said the honest answer to whether digital dispute resolution and AI enhance or disrupt access to justice was that “they will do both, depending on how deliberately we design their use.” This statement reflects a growing recognition of the complexity involved in integrating AI into the legal system. The outcomes of such integration will largely depend on the frameworks established for their application, as well as the training and education provided to legal professionals regarding the use of these technologies.
The Chief Justice emphasised that synthetic intelligence tools should not decide disputes. Recent technological interventions in the Supreme Court are limited to assisting judges with legal research and case summarisation or translation of judgments to regional languages. These initiatives aim to make legal information more accessible to a broader audience, particularly in a country as diverse as India, where language barriers can impede access to justice. However, the CJI underscored that these tools remain “deliberately assistive rather than adjudicatory.” This stance reinforces the idea that while AI can aid in legal processes, it should never replace the critical human element that is essential for fair and just outcomes.
In conclusion, the Chief Justice of India’s remarks serve as a vital reminder of the need for caution and responsibility as the legal system navigates the integration of AI technologies. While the potential benefits of AI in the judicial process are significant, they must be approached with a clear understanding of the risks involved. Legislative clarity, human oversight, and a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the judicial system are paramount as India continues to explore the role of AI in law. The conversation surrounding AI in the judiciary is just beginning, and it will be essential for all stakeholders to engage in thoughtful dialogue to shape a future where technology enhances rather than undermines justice.
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