During the hearing of a PIL demanding safeguards to prevent misuse of Artificial Intelligence in the judicial system, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant emphasized that judges remain cautious while adopting AI-based tools.

A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was considering a plea raising concerns about alleged “unregulated” use of generative AI in court proceedings.

Objecting to the premise of the petition, the CJI remarked:

“There is no question of unregulated use by the judiciary. My fellow judges and I have repeatedly stated that we are using AI with utmost care. We will not allow AI or machine learning to overpower judicial decision-making — we have highlighted this many times.”

Senior Advocate Anupam Lal Das, representing petitioner Karthikeya Rawal, submitted that AI-generated fake judgments are being cited in some cases by lawyers.

Responding, the CJI noted that such fabricated case laws must have been generated based on incorrect inputs by advocates themselves. He stressed that lawyers must remain vigilant and avoid relying on false or unethical AI-derived material.

The petitioner’s counsel referred to the Supreme Court’s White Paper on AI usage and also pointed to the Kerala High Court’s recently issued guidelines promoting responsible AI application in the district judiciary.

The CJI replied that the Supreme Court was already aware of the Kerala initiative and that any such policy formation is a process requiring detailed consultations with stakeholders.

The bench suggested that the petitioner may present recommendations directly to the Court through its administrative channel. Accepting this suggestion, the counsel sought permission to withdraw the writ petition.

The matter was accordingly dismissed as withdrawn, with liberty to submit suggestions administratively.

Order Extract:
“Learned Senior Counsel seeks permission to withdraw the petition and is permitted to do so; however, the petitioner is allowed to submit suggestions to us on the administrative side.”

Case: W.P.(C) No. 1041/2025 — KARTIKEYA RAWAL vs UNION OF INDIA