India’s Supreme Court flags trial court’s reliance on AI-generated non-existent judgments, issues notices to top law officers
The Facts
- A Supreme Court bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe took cognisance of a trial court relying on alleged non-existent, AI-generated “fake” judgments.
- The Supreme Court said it will examine the matter in detail, including consequences and accountability, citing its bearing on the integrity of the adjudicatory process.
- The Supreme Court stated that a decision based on non-existent and fake alleged judgments is not an error in decision-making but would amount to misconduct, with legal consequences to follow.
- The Supreme Court issued notices to Attorney General R. Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and the Bar Council of India.
- The Supreme Court appointed senior advocate Shyam Divan to assist it in the matter.
- The issue arose before the Supreme Court in proceedings connected to a challenge involving an order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court that had affirmed the trial court’s decision.
Context
What exactly did the Supreme Court object to?
The court objected to a trial court “deploying” AI-generated, non-existing or “fake/synthetic” alleged judgments in its decision-making, saying the practice raises institutional concerns and affects the integrity of adjudication Hindustan Times,Indian Express.
What did the Supreme Court say about the legal seriousness of citing non-existent AI-generated judgments?
The bench said reliance on non-existent and fake alleged judgments is not merely an error in decision-making; it would amount to misconduct and “legal consequence shall follow” Indian Express,Hindu.
What steps has the Supreme Court taken so far in this matter?
The Supreme Court said it will examine the issue in detail, issued notices to the Attorney General, Solicitor General and the Bar Council of India, and appointed senior advocate Shyam Divan to assist the court Hindustan Times,Hindu.
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