Supreme Court’s Assertion
Supreme Court Emphasises Human-Centred Justice Amid Rising Use of Artificial Intelligence: The Supreme Court of India reaffirmed that Artificial Intelligence will not take over judicial administration, stressing that judges remain fully aware of risks arising from the misuse of Generative AI (GenAI) in legal processes. The statement was made during a PIL demanding safeguards against unregulated AI deployment in courts.
Static GK fact: The Supreme Court functions under Articles 124–147 of the Constitution and serves as the guardian of fundamental rights.
Risks From AI Use in Judiciary
One of the most serious concerns is AI hallucination, where GenAI tools generate fabricated judgments or citations. A real-world example occurred in the UK High Court where AI-generated citations referenced non-existent cases.
Bias is another challenge. An improperly trained model may perpetuate disparate treatment, impacting fairness in proceedings. Lack of algorithmic transparency further limits the ability to understand how AI-generated recommendations are produced.
Static GK Tip: Article 14 mandates equality before the law, making unbiased and transparent decision-making essential.
UNESCO Guidelines Reinforcing Responsible AI Use
UNESCO’s global framework outlines principles for deploying AI in courts while safeguarding justice. It emphasizes protection of human rights, proportionality, and safety, ensuring AI tools do not compromise judicial independence.
Guidelines also highlight accuracy and reliability, explainability, and auditability to ensure systems can be reviewed and corrected. Information security is prioritised to prevent misuse of sensitive case data.
UNESCO additionally stresses human oversight, accountability, transparent and open justice, and awareness and informed use, ensuring all actors understand limitations of AI. Multi-stakeholder collaboration, participatory design, and clear responsibility structures form the foundation of ethical AI governance in courts.
Static GK fact: UNESCO was established in 1945 and plays a leading role in global AI ethics initiatives.
How AI Supports Judicial Functions
AI contributes positively by improving access to justice, enabling preliminary legal consultations through chatbots and virtual assistants. These tools help users understand procedures and basic legal rights.
AI also boosts productivity by analysing large case databases, identifying genuine appeals, and supporting automated transcription. Brazil’s VICTOR AI system screens cases for the Supreme Court, reducing manual workload on judges.
To address pendency, AI streamlines administrative tasks, case scheduling, and document management. In Greece, automated AI-based document processing accelerates case disposal.
Static GK Tip: India’s e-Courts Mission Mode Project is central to digital judicial transformation and improving service delivery.
India’s Balanced Pathway
India adopts a cautious, human-led approach where AI acts as an assistive tool without influencing judicial reasoning. The Court’s observation signals a clear direction—embracing technology for efficiency while ensuring human judgment remains paramount in the delivery of justice.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
Supreme Court Emphasises Human-Centred Justice Amid Rising Use of Artificial Intelligence:
| Topic | Detail |
| Supreme Court stance | AI will not replace human judges in judicial administration |
| Trigger for observation | PIL seeking safeguards against misuse of AI |
| Key concern | Risks of hallucinations, bias, and lack of algorithmic transparency |
| Global example | UK lawyers submitted AI-generated fictitious citations |
| UNESCO focus | Human rights protection, proportionality, safety |
| UNESCO ethical principles | Transparency, accountability, explainability, auditability |
| Supportive AI use | Chatbots enhance access to justice |
| Productivity enhancement | Brazil’s VICTOR AI system screens appeals |
| Backlog reduction | Greece uses automated AI document processing |
| Indian reform initiative | e-Courts Mission Mode Project drives judicial digitisation |
