While hearing a PIL seeking guidelines to check misuse of AI in courts, Supreme Court observed that judges are very conscious about the risks emanating from the indiscriminate use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in judicial work.
Concerns with AI use in Judiciary
- Hallucinations: GenAI could create hallucinations, resulting in fictitious judgments and research material.
- For instance, in UK’s high court, lawyers submitted AI-generated legal arguments containing citations to non-existent cases.
- Disparate Treatment: Improper development or use of AI can result in disparate treatment between individuals or groups and may work to perpetuate bias.
- Lack of Transparency: Lack of algorithmic transparency may make it difficult in understanding rationale and fairness of decisions.
Integration of AI in Judiciary
- Access to Justice: AI is supporting delivery of and access to legal services by facilitating initial consultations through chatbots and virtual assistants.
- Improving Productivity: AI facilitates judicial systems in identifying genuine appeal cases, provide automated transcription and helps in understanding case laws.
- For instance, Brazil’s VICTOR AI system automates examination of appeals to Supreme Court.
- Clearing Judicial Backlog: AI automates routine administrative tasks related to case management, offers predictive analytics and supporting legal research.
- For instance, in Greece, AI facilitates automated document processing for faster case disposal.
