August 27, 2023: The Delhi High Court recently said “no” to using artificial intelligence (AI) in legal cases. The warning came during a case involving Christian Louboutin, a French luxury company known for its unique “red sole” shoe design.
Justice Prathiba M Singh stated, “Accuracy and reliability of AI-generated data is still in the grey area. AI cannot substitute human intelligence or the humane element in the adjudicatory process.”
She said AI could help with early research but should not be used for final legal decisions.
The court also looked at how AI, like ChatGPT, gives answers. It said these answers depend on the question and other things, which means AI can sometimes get it wrong.
“The said tool cannot be the basis of adjudication of legal or factual issues in a court of law,” the court added.
Justice Singh’s comments came after two queries were put to ChatGPT. The AI tool gave answers but also said people should look for more information elsewhere.
The court felt that this shows that AI is not reliable for making legal judgments.
The case also involved Shutiq, a company that was making shoes similar to Christian Louboutin’s. One partner of Shutiq promised the court that they would not copy or sell shoes that look like the luxury brand’s designs in the future.
Justice Singh added that for a court to stop someone from making a similar product, it must be a “colorable or a slavish imitation” of the original design. The court clarified that if there were a breach, the offender would have to immediately pay Christian Louboutin a lump sum of Rs.25 lakhs as damages.
Read the complete order by the Delhi High Court on the use of AI in legal judgments here:
