Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has said artificial intelligence can support judicial research and court processes but cannot replace the legal acumen and decision-making authority of judges. He made the remarks while addressing the plenary session of the 7th Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions in Samarkand during his official visit to Uzbekistan.

Justice Kant said technology should be used to expand access to justice without excluding vulnerable citizens or weakening public trust in courts. Referring to the Supreme Court's Draft Regulations for Use of Artificial Intelligence in Courts, released by its AI Committee in June 2026, he said the framework was grounded in the principle of human primacy. AI, he stressed, could supplement judicial research and assist court processes, but judicial decision-making must remain with judges.

Speaking separately on "Digitising Justice: Charting the Supreme Court of India's Course", the CJI said India's approach to technology was rooted in constitutional guarantees of liberty, equality and access to justice. He cited Articles 21 and 14, along with Article 32, which allows citizens to approach the Supreme Court for enforcement of fundamental rights. He also referred to Article 39A and the State's responsibility to provide free legal aid so that financial constraints do not prevent people from seeking justice.

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Justice Kant highlighted electronic filing, virtual hearings, digital case management and live-streaming of Constitution Bench proceedings as measures that have helped reduce geographical and financial barriers. He said the eCourts Mission Mode Project, which has supported judicial digitisation since 2011, proved particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March 2020 and June 2024, the Supreme Court conducted more than 750,000 hearings through video conferencing, according to the CJI.

He also outlined technology-based initiatives aimed at improving access to judicial information. SUVAS, an AI-assisted translation tool developed by the Supreme Court, has enabled judgments to be made available in Indian languages, with more than 83,000 translations across 18 languages published by the previous year. He also referred to Su-Sahayak, an AI-powered chatbot that provides information on case status, cause lists, orders, judgments and e-services.

Justice Kant further highlighted the "One Case, One Data" initiative, which seeks to integrate case information across different levels of the judiciary and reduce duplication and delays. At the same time, he said challenges such as the digital divide, data security and algorithmic accountability require continued attention. Describing India's judicial technology experience as an evolving process, he stressed that cooperation among Asian constitutional courts would be important as technology increasingly shapes the administration of justice.

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