AI: A useful starting point
Four in 10 adults would consider turning to AI instead of a solicitor for a legal question, according to new research.
This is despite the fact that nearly a quarter of people who have turned to AI for advice more generally received guidance that turned out to be wrong and caused a real problem – ranging from financial losses and health scares to damaged relationships and embarrassment.
A survey of 2,000 people by comparison website Uswitch found that 39% would consider asking AI instead of a solicitor about a legal question.
People said they would use AI instead of a professional because it was faster than waiting for an appointment (43%); it was available any time, day or night (42%); and it was free, or cheaper than paying a professional (41%).
Respondents also thought the advice could be easily verified (29%), while 21% said they did not want to feel embarrassed or judged asking a professional and 18% did not trust professionals to always have their best interests at heart.
The wider findings included that 18% of people have made a personal decision based solely on a chatbot’s advice, without seeking a second opinion – rising to two in five (40%) of Gen Z – and almost half of those who used AI for personal advice trusted it as much as, or more than, a friend or family member.
Uswitch’s Max Beckett said AI could be “a useful starting point for helping people understand an unfamiliar legal issue”, but said its advice to consumers was that it should not replace professional support.
“AI has made legal information much more accessible, particularly when it comes to explaining complicated terminology or giving people a quick overview of an issue. But there’s an important difference between finding information and getting legal advice that is tailored to your circumstances.”
He highlighted how chatbots could only respond to the information they have been given, “whereas a solicitor is trained to ask the right questions, identify the details that could change the position, and apply their legal knowledge to the specific situation”.
Mr Beckett went on: “AI chatbots can also present answers with a reassuring sense of certainty, even when the information they’re based on is inaccurate or lacking important context.
“Human judgement is therefore particularly important, especially as the answer to a legal question isn’t always as straightforward as it might appear from the information available online.”
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