CJI Surya Kant Urges Law Schools Not To Ban AI, Warns Prohibition Could Leave Future Lawyers ‘A Step Behind’; Calls For Ethical, Supervised Use

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged law schools to refrain from completely prohibiting artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies in classrooms, warning that such a ban could leave future lawyers unprepared for a profession increasingly reliant on technology. Speaking at the Vise Chancellors Conclave in Jodhpur, the CJI argued that students should be trained to use these tools in a supervised, transparent, and ethical manner.

Kant recognized the concern that overreliance on AI could hinder students' ability to construct arguments independently, but he believed that these risks should be managed through education and supervision rather than prohibition. Prohibiting students from encountering these tools in a controlled setting would only leave them unprepared for professional life, where they would inevitably face these technologies, he argued.

"By denying them these tools, we won't have protected that student; we will have sent them into professional life a step behind their peers," Kant stated. Kant emphasized that AI should serve as an aid, not a replacement for legal judgment. Law schools must teach students to critically evaluate AI-generated outputs, determining when technology can assist, when it needs verification, and when it should yield to human reasoning.

He suggested that these issues be integrated into the legal curriculum and pedagogy alongside core subjects like constitutional law and evidence. The CJI acknowledged the rapid transformation of legal practice due to technology, including areas like contract drafting, due diligence, legal research, dispute resolution, and evidence handling.

Future lawyers will increasingly rely on AI tools to analyze precedents, identify legal risks, and manage large amounts of data. Kant called on law schools to lead research and training on topics such as algorithmic accountability, data protection, digital access to justice, and online dispute resolution. However, he warned that technological progress should not exacerbate existing inequalities.

AI and digital legal services should benefit litigants outside major cities and be accessible to financially disadvantaged individuals. Kant stressed that legal education must evolve alongside technology while maintaining fairness and accountability as core values.