SUPREME Court Justices Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Mansoor Ali Shah’s judgment on the use of AI in the judiciary landed last week as a pleasant surprise. In their judgement, the honourable justices have reasoned that AI ought to be “welcomed with careful optimism” as a solution to the many issues plaguing the Pakistani judiciary. The judgement in question, authored by Justice Shah, notes at one point: “There is an urgent need to examine the systemic causes of […] delays [in the dispensation of justice] and to devise innovative court and case management systems, particularly at the level of the district judiciary, where the bulk of such disputes originate and where the pressure of case pendency is most acutely felt.” It is in these areas, the judges believe, that AI can be of good use to the judiciary, with the judgement noting that AI could offer a “promising path to operational reform, provided its adoption remains grounded in principled constitutional limits”. While optimistic, the judgement also cautions in detail against overreliance on AI, indicating that it was arrived at after serious and careful deliberation. Such a positive approach to improvement and innovation should always be welcomed.

Other components of the state would do well to follow the Supreme Court. AI is often talked about as the next big disruption after the Industrial Revolution. Where the latter led to the mechanisation of manual labour, AI promises to automate cognitive labour; the Industrial Revolution resulted in economies shifting from agrarian to industrial, while AI is expected to catalyse the transition from industrial to digital or knowledge-based economies. The Supreme Court, at least, sees the immense potential in AI. Other branches of the Pakistani state should also start considering the dividends of an AI-led upgrade. For now, AI seems to be just another buzzword for our policymakers — there is as yet no indication that they have a comprehensive strategy for leveraging this technology to adapt quickly to an already fast-changing world. But strategic and progressive implementation could help Pakistan make huge leaps forward. In particular, AI can help the state cut red tape, overcome dysfunction, and greatly improve service delivery. If, however, Pakistan misses this boat, the country risks being left further behind the rest of the world. More progressive voices are needed in the corridors of state power.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2025