UK Lawyers Explore Generative AI’s Role in Legal Tech

Adoption & Usage Trends
More than a quarter (26%) of UK legal professionals report using generative AI tools at least monthly, a sharp increase from just 11% in July 2023. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of UK law firms have already made operational changes in response to the growing availability and potential of generative AI.

Key Use Cases
The most commonly cited applications include drafting documents (91% of respondents), researching legal matters (90%), and streamlining internal and external communications (73%). Contract analytics, while promising, had more moderate uptake (53%). Ashurst, a notable UK firm, found in trials that generative AI cut the time for producing first drafts of legal briefs by approximately half when compared to traditional methods.

Opportunities & Challenges
Lawyers see generative AI as offering efficiency gains, cost savings, and improved client service. Small and medium-sized practices (SMEs) are especially interested in adopting AI for document automation, summaries, and internal knowledge management. However, there are significant concerns: hallucinations (incorrect or misleading AI outputs), data security, and lack of trust in the reliability of free or publicly available tools.

Regulation, Ethics & Future Outlook
The UK’s regulatory and professional bodies are actively producing guidance. The Law Society’s “Generative AI: the essentials” guide outlines both the possibilities and risks for solicitors and law firms. irms are encouraged to maintain high standards of human oversight, transparency, and professional liability irrespective of AI usage. As generative AI continues to mature, its role is expected to broaden across legal services, but with strong emphasis on ethical, secure, and well-tested deployment.

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Source: The Law Society