AI in judiciary must be adopted in responsible, calibrated manner: Shardul Shroff

Artificial Intelligence (AI) must be integrated into India’s judicial system in a responsible and calibrated manner, said Shardul Shroff, Founder and Executive Chairman of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, during a session on ‘How AI Can Transform Justice. The Future of India’s Judicial System’ at the India AI Summit 2026. 

Can AI tools be used in judicial decision-making? 

Addressing the question of whether AI tools could be used in judicial decision-making, Shroff underlined the need for human oversight. He raised concerns over judgments being delivered entirely by machines, asking whether there would be a human being at the end of the process who renders the final decision.  

“If the decision is delivered by the machine, it will be bad law because no one has delegated that power to a machine,” he said, stressing that judicial authority cannot be ceded to automated systems. 

How AI can strengthen India’s justice system? 

The session examined how AI can strengthen India’s justice system by improving efficiency, expanding access, and enhancing public trust. Discussions focused on practical applications such as case management, dispute resolution, and citizen-facing legal services. At the same time, speakers highlighted the importance of governance frameworks, ethical safeguards, and accountability mechanisms to ensure responsible deployment. 

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Participants highlighted pathways for reducing pendency and delays, particularly to support MSMEs and ordinary citizens while preserving judicial independence and public confidence in the rule of law. The conversation reflected a consensus that AI should function as an assistive tool rather than a substitute for judicial reasoning. 

The panel featured Arya Tripathy of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Aparajita Bhatt and G.S. Bajpai of National Law University Delhi, former Supreme Court judge Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, Vikas Mahendra of TERES, Rajnish Kumar of NeGD, and Shroff. 

The discussion comes ahead of the India AI Impact Expo 2026, which will be inaugurated by Narendra Modi on Monday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The five-day expo, to be held alongside the India AI Impact Summit, is expected to bring together heads of government, ministers, global CEOs, technology firms, startups, academia and policymakers, positioning itself as a major platform for applied AI and policy dialogue.