SC warns lawyers that AI-generated fake verdicts are ‘threat’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over the growing “menace” of lawyers and litigants invoking non-existent judgments generated by artificial intelligence and warned that the practice is increasingly common in courts.A bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Vijay Bishnoi said such situations were not limited to India but existed globally, stressing the need for greater caution while relying on AI-assisted materials, news agency PTI reported.These observations come as the Supreme Court struck down certain remarks made by the Bombay High Court in a case involving company directors.“We have removed these remarks out of tolerance… However, the fact remains that this menace is now rampant in all courts, not just in India but across the world. Everyone needs to be alert to this,” the bench said, adding that the judicial side was already considering the issue.The high court noted in its order that the written statement appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, citing obvious formatting marks and repeated wording. It also points to a reference case that cannot be traced in legal records.Despite the efforts of the court and its legal staff, the cited judgment could not be located, resulting in what was described as a waste of “valuable judicial time.”The High Court emphasized that while AI tools can assist legal research, it is the responsibility of the parties to verify the accuracy and authenticity of any material produced using such technology.