New Delhi: The Supreme Courts of Singapore and India organised the first Singapore-India Conference on Technology on April 13th and 14th, 2024, in India. The conference brought together judges from both countries and enabled discussions with technology experts about how technology is affecting legal systems. The idea for this conference came from Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon of Singapore and Chief Justice Dr D Y Chandrachud of India.
Chief Justice Menon gave a keynote speech titled “Judicial Responsibility in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” He talked about the changes brought about by generative artificial intelligence (AI) and stressed the importance of courts maintaining the rule of law in the face of technological progress.
He said, “Let me suggest three aspects of the process of judging that still require a human touch. First, a judge should have empathy in engaging with the parties at various stages of the adjudicative process so that those parties feel that they have been heard… Second, the process of judging must reflect the values of our justice system… Third, and more broadly, judging is an exercise that is intertwined with our shared humanity.”
Menon acknowledged the potential of AI but expressed his apprehension towards the idea of “AI judges” replacing humans. He supported judges evolving to include technical knowledge while staying true to ethical duties. He said, “In discharging their adjudicative responsibilities, judiciaries will increasingly need to grapple with questions of how AI should, and should not, be used within the adjudicative process.”
The conference included experts like Prof Urs Gasser and Prof Richard Susskind. They discussed AI’s role in law, potential problems, and how it affects the judiciary. The conference discussed topics like “AI Assisting the Work of the Courts,” “Harnessing AI Technology to Promote Access to Justice” and “Ethical Issues and Risk in the Use of AI,” to generate ideas for both judiciaries to handle justice-related issues better.
Discussion about this post