Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, addressing Senior Counsel Sidharth Luthra and Mukul Rohatgi, emphasized the importance of accurately selecting words in legal pleadings, cautioning against leaving this task solely to AI due to the risk of amusing and potentially serious errors.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India highlighted the potential pitfalls of over-relying on Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially in translating legal documents. This issue arose during a judgment involving English translations of Hindi court records, where several inaccuracies were noted.
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Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, addressing Senior Counsel Sidharth Luthra and Mukul Rohatgi, emphasized the importance of accurately selecting words in legal pleadings, cautioning against leaving this task solely to AI due to the risk of amusing and potentially serious errors.
Justice Viswanathan humorously recalled an incident where AI translated “leave granted” as “chutti sweekaar” (holiday approved), with Justice Gavai adding that it could also become “avkaash sweekrit” (vacation approval).
Despite these challenges, AI has been instrumental in the Supreme Court’s efforts to enhance access to justice. In January 2023, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud emphasized the importance of making court judgments accessible in all Indian languages, possibly through AI.
By February 2023, the Court began using AI-driven Natural Language Processing for live transcription of Constitution Bench hearings. Additionally, in May 2023, CJI Chandrachud announced ongoing efforts to make court proceedings’ transcripts available in regional languages. The 2024 Supreme Court Hackathon also reflects this trend, focusing on AI-based solutions to optimize the Court’s registry functions.
By introducing AI into the judicial process, the Supreme Court of India is taking a significant step towards increasing the efficiency and accuracy of its operations. The initiative is also a reflection of the broader global trend of integrating AI in legal systems to handle routine tasks, thus allowing the judiciary to focus more on complex legal issues.
The hackathon, organized as part of the Supreme Court’s 75th-anniversary celebrations, underscores the judiciary’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology for improved judicial processes.
This hackathon not only celebrates the 75th year of the Supreme Court’s establishment but also symbolizes a forward-looking vision where technology plays a pivotal role in the administration of justice. The outcome of this event could set a precedent for other courts in India and around the world, making it a milestone in the history of judicial reforms.
Participants are encouraged to submit their innovative solutions by the deadline of August 31, with assessments scheduled to be conducted on September 14. The event promises to bring together some of the brightest minds in the country, all working towards a common goal of enhancing the efficiency of the judiciary through AI-driven solutions.
