Courts in India Test AI Speech-to-Text Tool to Boost Efficiency

AI-powered speech recognition system could alleviate stenographer shortages and streamline court proceedings

Ben Wodecki, Jr. Editor

July 29, 2024

2 Min Read
3D render of an Indian judge's desk, with law book, gavel in front of the Indian flag
Getty Images

India is conducting tests to equip its courts with AI tools to assist judges, including a speech recognition system that automatically turns testimonies into text.

Courts in Delhi are taking part in a pilot hybrid court project that aims to enhance judicial efficiency and ease delays by leveraging AI tools.

Chief among the tools being trialed is a speech-to-text facility that would convert voice recordings, such as testimonies, into text.

Courts traditionally use stenographers who transcribe spoken words into written text using shorthand or specialized equipment.

The tool will use a combination of speech recognition and large language models to provide judges with information on a display screen they can quickly reference and review during court proceedings.

"As a chief justice, the biggest problem that I face is that all judges are requesting a large number of stenographers and there is not enough pool available,” said acting chief justice of Delhi High Court Justice Manmohan. “I think this will solve the problem to a large extent because once the speech-to-text facility is available, especially with regard to the recording of evidence by the joint registrars and by the district judiciary, this will ensure that quite a big pool of stenographers becomes available for other purposes.”

Related:US Chief Justice: AI is Here to Stay, But So Are Judges

Other technologies being implemented include a desktop application that judicial officers can use to convert physical documents into digital formats.

All district courtrooms in Delhi will eventually be converted into these hybrid court facilities, with 14 pilot projects currently underway.

While enthused about the technological implementation in the Delhi court system, Manmohan warned that AI is also being used to circumvent and break the law.

India will become the latest country to augment their courthouses with AI tools. Chinese judges have been leveraging AI tools since 2022, with machine learning-powered “smart court” screens intuitively displaying references and recommendations on both laws and regulations.

In the U.S., a legal services company attempted to develop an "AI lawyer" to represent plaintiffs in court. However, DoNotPay's chatbot is not allowed in court because the tool requires a human to wear an earbud to hear the responses, which violates courtroom rules on electronic devices.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrote earlier this year that AI offers judges many benefits but will not replace them.

About the Author

Ben Wodecki

Jr. Editor

Ben Wodecki is the Jr. Editor of AI Business, covering a wide range of AI content. Ben joined the team in March 2021 as assistant editor and was promoted to Jr. Editor. He has written for The New Statesman, Intellectual Property Magazine, and The Telegraph India, among others. He holds an MSc in Digital Journalism from Middlesex University.

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