Law schools in India are on the brink of disruptive change. These shifts emanate from two powerful developments. First, the number of students in classrooms has dipped to almost half due to the removal of the attendance requirement stipulated in a recent Delhi HC judgment. Second, AI’s use has impacted teaching-learning environments in schools across the country. It is bound to shake conventional methods of learning and practising law. It has already begun to make things easier for students in many ways. Teachers in law schools will soon find themselves on edge, as AI will perform certain tasks in a more structured manner. Students can now generate content on topics that a teacher is likely to cover in class. They find this output meaningful as it saves time.
AI began by taking over some preliminary stages of teaching (explanations, examples, summarisation, and practice questions). In the second stage, AI has begun to impact the value chain (learning design, verification, feedback, professional identity, ethics). The third phase could involve replacing roles that teachers ordinarily play. Critics argue that AI may attenuate the teacher’s role in mediating knowledge. Students’ reliance on the sharp, subject-specific outputs produced by AI tools has reduced their engagement in class and in collecting classroom material, which they now obtain through AI. This has affected traditional classroom interactions. A complete withdrawal of teachers is not yet visible, as all stakeholders are in a state of transition and confusion while exploring new roles and avenues.