Patna: Law students must equip themselves with skills beyond legal theory and courtroom practice, including an understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), technology and global affairs, to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving profession, governor Syed Ata Hasnain said on Sunday.Addressing the 117th foundation day celebrations of Patna Law College, the governor said the next 25 years would bring both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges for the legal profession. India’s expanding economy and growing global footprint, he said, would lead to increasingly intricate disputes involving intellectual property, technology transfer, international investment, cross-border contracts and multiple jurisdictions.Highlighting the disruptive impact of AI, Hasnain said legal research, drafting and several routine professional tasks were already undergoing transformation. At the same time, AI was raising critical questions related to accountability, intellectual property rights, digital evidence, data protection and deepfakes.“AI may not replace lawyers, but lawyers who understand AI may replace those who do not,” he said, stressing the need for technological literacy among future legal professionals.He cautioned that technology was also changing the nature of crime, making it essential for lawyers to understand digital footprints, encryption and electronic evidence. Legal education, he said, could no longer remain confined to textbooks and conventional courtroom practices.Calling professional integrity and ethics indispensable, the governor said technology could not replace honesty, knowledge could not substitute for wisdom, and legal expertise could never replace the sense of justice.Congratulating Patna Law College on completing 117 years, he praised its legacy of producing judges, lawyers, civil servants, academics and political leaders. He urged students to carry forward that legacy by mastering the law, embracing technology, understanding global developments and, above all, remaining honest and worthy of public trust.
