The Chief Justice of India, speaking at NLU Jodhpur’s 25th Foundation Day, urged law schools not to ban AI and other emerging technologies in classrooms, advocating supervised, transparent, and ethical use instead.

At the Vice-Chancellors’ Conclave 2.0 on legal technology, he rejected an outright ban on generative AI in legal education and called for responsible integration of AI into curricula.

Graduates will work with tools that can rapidly process thousands of precedents, but must also be trained to question assumptions, verify conclusions, and exercise independent judgment.

Success in a tech-enabled legal landscape hinges on critically evaluating outputs and not relying solely on technology for decision-making.

Innovation should expand the legal system’s capabilities while advancing access to justice for underrepresented communities, not just urban users.

The broader trend includes the judiciary’s ongoing adoption of technology—like e-filing, digital case management, and virtual proceedings—alongside educational imperatives.

The aim is for faster, AI-assisted processes to strengthen justice while preserving human judgment and public trust.

NLUs face the challenge of integrating digital tools into research and practice without diminishing independent legal reasoning.

Technology should make legal institutions more capable while upholding justice, fairness, and human judgment as guiding principles.

Justice must be faster without sacrificing fairness, with legal education evolving to balance technology with accountability.

Education should prepare future lawyers and judges to work confidently with AI while ensuring ethical decision-making remains central.

The remarks address AI’s growing role in legal research, drafting, and analysis, emphasizing assessment of technology-assisted work over replacement of legal reasoning.