The Rise of AI in Law: Innovation or Illusion?
- CHAMBERS
- Jun 18
- 2 min read
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in legal practice, we face both remarkable opportunities and significant risks. Jonathan Harkess’s recent article, AI’s Legal Lies Exposed – Combatting the Hallucination Epidemic, addresses one of the most urgent challenges: AI hallucinations — when language models generate fabricated case law, legislation, or citations that appear plausible but are entirely fictitious.
For a profession built on precision, credibility, and public trust, this is more than a technical concern. It’s a matter of ethical responsibility.
And yet, this is not a reason to turn away from innovation - it is a call for responsible, regulated, and ethical AI adoption in legal services.
We must:
• Promote AI literacy throughout the profession — particularly among trainees and junior lawyers.
• Develop robust governance frameworks within law firms and regulatory bodies.
• Demand transparency and verifiability from AI developers.
• Collaborate with regulators like the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), who have taken a proactive approach by authorising Garfield.Law, the UK’s first AI-powered regulated law firm — while ensuring human supervision and accountability remain central.
Used wisely, AI can help improve access to justice, reduce procedural burdens, and support legal research. But it must never replace our judgment, responsibility, or commitment to truth.
Let’s shape the future of AI in law — not as passive adopters, but as active, ethical stewards of the profession.
Highly recommend reading Jonathan’s article here:
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