A video can show an event that never happened. A voice recording can sound like someone who never spoke. A document can be generated in seconds.

So, when AI-generated material reaches a courtroom, can it be trusted as evidence?

1. The Law Is Catching Up

The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 recognises electronic and digital records. But admissibility is only the beginning. The bigger question is whether the record is authentic and reliable.

2. AI Changes the Evidence Problem

AI can create or alter the appearance of events, making authenticity, provenance and manipulation critical questions.

3. The Deepfake Challenge

Courts may need to examine the original source, metadata, chain of custody, editing history, forensic reports and independent corroboration.

4. What Does Recent Case Law Tell Us?

The Supreme Court's 2026 decision in Pooja Ramesh Singh v. Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd. highlighted the dangers of relying on unverified AI-generated or fabricated legal material.

The broader lesson: AI output cannot be trusted merely because it looks convincing.

5. The Real Legal Question

AI-generated material should not automatically be rejected. The key is whether its authenticity, integrity and reliability can be established.

A machine can generate a record.

It cannot, by itself, prove that the record is true.