The High Commission of India in London on Friday condemned what it called “inappropriate public behaviour” after a video of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant’s lecture at Birkbeck College in London on June 4 circulated.
“Such inappropriate public behavior is unacceptable and inconsistent with the respectful participation that should govern public discourse. Differences of opinion are a normal part of a democratic society. However, they must be expressed in a civil and respectful manner,” the High Commissioner’s circular said.
The statement came in the wake of videos circulating online showing an attendee trying to raise questions about the opposition in India during the programme. However, the organizer cut off contact with the individual before the interaction could continue.
What happened?
The Center had delivered a lecture on “Artificial Intelligence and International Law” at Birkbeck College, University of London, during its current visit to the United Kingdom.
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In the interactive session that followed, a woman in the audience first referred to his statements, then moved to the topic of opposition.
“His Honor made some very important points, I think, about India’s track record in protecting democracy in the context of artificial intelligence,” she said, according to clips of the dialogue shared on X.
She continued: “We are now hearing from a number of legal observers within the country as well as internationally that there is a great deal of concern about the growing hostility to the opposition within India. This hostility appears to be reflected to some extent in His Lordship’s rhetoric and has been very well publicized.” She appears to be referring to recent statements by the International Commission of Justice in India.
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She could not complete the question. A man on stage refused to take it.
“With all due respect, I’m so sorry, I won’t be able to address this question because it’s about artificial intelligence and international law. So sorry. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. We’re going to have to cut this off,” he said. The clip ends at this point.
The clips were re-shared by Sourav Das, CJP’s chief spokesperson, and other users.
What did the CJI say in his lecture
The choices made during this decade will shape the relationship between technology, power, freedom and justice for generations to come, the CJI said in his lecture on artificial intelligence.
“Technology in itself is neither inherently good nor inherently harmful. Its impact depends on the legal, political and moral frameworks through which societies choose to deploy it. It is, therefore, neither the responsibility of the law to resist technological progress nor to surrender to it unquestioningly. Its responsibility is to ensure that technological power remains accountable to constitutional values, democratic legitimacy, and human dignity,” she said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
He also said that artificial intelligence constitutes one of the most important tests of international law in its modern development. “Our main challenge is to ensure that, in the age of intelligent machines, humanity retains authorship of the principles that govern it. If international law can rise to this challenge, artificial intelligence may become not just a technological revolution, but an opportunity to reaffirm the values that lie at the foundation of democratic civilization itself.”
