Even We’ve Seen Our Morphed Pics": Chief Justice Flags AI Misuse in Judiciary
CJI BR Gavai admits judges face AI deepfakes; SC hears plea to regulate GenAI in courts.
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Monday acknowledged the alarming rise in the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital tools against members of the judiciary, revealing that judges themselves have not been spared. “Yes, yes, we have seen our morphed pictures too,” the Chief Justice remarked during the hearing of a public interest litigation seeking regulation of Generative AI (GenAI) systems in India’s judicial framework. The bench, which also included Justice K Vinod Chandran, took note of the matter and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
The petition, filed by advocate Kartikeya Rawal, urged the framing of national guidelines or a comprehensive policy to oversee the use of GenAI within judicial and quasi-judicial bodies. He drew a distinction between conventional AI and GenAI, pointing out that the latter’s capability to generate new and synthetic data could introduce ambiguity, bias, and false precedents into the legal process. The plea warned that unregulated AI systems could produce “hallucinated” judgments or non-existent case laws, undermining the integrity and predictability of judicial decisions.
According to the petitioner, the opaque nature of Generative AI—often described as operating within a “black box”—poses serious risks to fairness and transparency. The petition cited that AI’s reliance on flawed or biased datasets might lead to arbitrary or discriminatory outputs, potentially violating the constitutional guarantee of equality under Article 14. It added that ensuring data ownership, quality, and accountability is critical to preventing systemic bias or misuse in judicial decision-making.
Also Read: Twist in Sunjay Kapur Estate Battle: Lawyer Flags “Misspelled Son’s Name,” Alleges Forged Will
The concern comes amid growing global debate on AI ethics and its potential to influence legal outcomes. As Indian courts begin to explore limited AI integration for record analysis and legal research, experts have underscored the need for clear regulatory frameworks. The Supreme Court’s acknowledgment of AI manipulation incidents has further strengthened calls for urgent oversight to safeguard the credibility of the justice system in the digital era.
Also Read: Pregnant College Student Found Dead in Septic Tank, Faith Healer Arrested
