Building LegalTech Responsibly: Top 5 Things Builders Often Overlook - AMA with Vibhav Mithal – Event Recap

Admin ILTN
Sep 3, 2025
2 min read

On 30th August 2025, the Indian LegalTech Network (ILTN) hosted an engaging Ask Me Anything session on “Building LegalTech Responsibly: Top 5 Things Builders Often Overlook” with Vibhav Mithal, Associate Partner at Anand & Anand. The session brought together innovators, legal professionals, and students to address a pressing question: what does responsibility mean when building AI-driven legal solutions?

Setting the Context

The event opened with a brief overview of the rapid adoption of AI in legaltech and the parallel rise in risks—from data privacy breaches to algorithmic bias. Against this backdrop, India’s “AI for All” strategy and global conversations on ethics framed the importance of responsible practices.

Responsible AI and Its Legal Relevance

Vibhav distinguished between AI Ethics (a broad societal perspective) and Responsible AI (RAI) (a framework of practical principles for developers). Referring to NITI Aayog’s guidelines, he outlined six key principles:

Safety and Reliability
Equality, Inclusivity & Non-discrimination
Privacy and Security
Transparency
Accountability
Human Values

Each principle was contextualized within the legal domain. For example:

Equality & Non-discrimination connects to constitutional challenges and intermediary liability rules.
Privacy & Security aligns with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) and broader data management standards.
Accountability ties to issues of IPR, consumer protection, and professional liability.

The core message was clear: legaltech builders cannot afford to wait for legislation; governance and oversight must be embedded into design from day one.

The “Law-Plus” Approach

A central takeaway was the importance of going beyond mere compliance. Vibhav emphasized the “law-plus” approach—integrating human oversight, transparency, and risk management even in the absence of binding regulations. This proactive stance allows startups to mitigate risks before they become costly disputes or regulatory violations.

Frameworks and Playbooks for Startups

The session highlighted voluntary tools such as the NASSCOM Developer’s Playbook, which provides a foundation for responsible AI practices. For early-stage legaltech companies, this framework acts as practical guides for embedding governance without stifling innovation.

Real-World Scenarios

The open-floor Q&A explored practical dilemmas faced by legaltech builders:

Confidential Data Misuse – Who is liable if AI tools expose client contracts?
Hallucinated Precedent – What happens when AI invents case law?
Biased Predictions – How do we address discriminatory outcomes in risk assessments?
IP Violations in Training Data – Navigating “fair use” vs. commercial risks.

Each case underscored why responsible AI is not optional but critical for startups operating in sensitive domains like law.

Way Forward

This AMA reaffirmed that the future of legaltech lies not just in innovation, but in responsible, ethical, and risk-aware innovation. For builders, the guiding mantra remains: “Identify a risk, and mitigate a risk.”

Recording Available: For those who missed the session, the full recording is available on LinkedIn Live here: Watch Here

A special thanks to Vibhav Mithal for sharing his insights and engaging so thoughtfully with the ILTN community.