Now Reading: AI can assist but not replace judges, says CJI Surya Kant
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AI can assist but not replace judges, says CJI Surya Kant
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said artificial intelligence can assist courts but cannot replace judges, emphasising that legal reasoning and decisions must remain with human judges. Speaking at the VII Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 2 October, he said technological change must be guided by constitutional commitments to liberty, equality and access to justice.
National Herald India reports the CJI cited initiatives including SUVAS, an AI tool for translating judgments into 18 Indian languages with over 83,000 translations published by 2025, and Su-Sahayak, an AI chatbot on the Supreme Court website. He said the eCourts Mission Mode Project has supported court digitisation since 2011 and that between March 2020 and June 2024 the Supreme Court conducted over 750,000 hearings via video conferencing.
The CJI acknowledged unequal digital access, data security and accountability for algorithms remained concerns as courts increase technology reliance. CNBC TV18 reports he called for cooperation among Asian constitutional courts to address technological challenges while staying anchored to constitutional values.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both National Herald India and CNBC TV18 carry the same PTI-sourced copy covering CJI Surya Kant's speech in Uzbekistan, with no divergence in framing or emphasis. The uniform coverage treats the CJI's remarks as straight news, quoting his call to anchor AI use in constitutional values and listing specific digitisation initiatives. No outlet adds its own commentary or a critical lens. The story offers no opposing view or external assessment of the CJI's claims about AI in courts. The substantive takeaway from the uniform reporting is the CJI's own acknowledgement that unequal digital access, data security and algorithmic accountability remain unresolved issues as courts push ahead with technology.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): nationalheraldindia.com (neutral report), cnbctv18.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
