By Alison Clifford | June 11th, 2026
Recently, there has been a significant change in how people seek advice. In the past, we would turn to a trusted friend, a qualified specialist, or even a search engine such as Google. Increasingly, however, people are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems for answers.
While AI can be a useful tool for understanding general legal concepts, there are several important limitations and risks that users should be aware of.
AI systems can generate incorrect information with a high degree of confidence. In legal matters, even a small error regarding a deadline, statute, court rule, or legal principle can have serious consequences.
Unlike a legal professional, AI may not always recognise the limits of its knowledge and can sometimes produce answers that appear convincing but are inaccurate.
Legal rules differ between countries and jurisdictions. An answer that is correct in one location may be completely wrong in another.
For example, is the information based on the law of England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, or another country entirely? Without careful consideration of jurisdiction, legal advice can be misleading.
Legislation, regulations, and court decisions continually evolve. Unless an AI system has access to current legal sources and uses them correctly, the information it provides may be outdated.
As with any research tool, AI is only as reliable as the information available to it.
A seemingly minor fact can dramatically alter the legal analysis of a case. AI systems may not ask the detailed follow-up questions that a solicitor or barrister would use to identify crucial information.
As a result, important facts may be overlooked.
Using AI does not create the protections that generally exist when consulting a qualified legal professional. These protections include professional duties, legal professional privilege, and professional liability.
A recent case involved a client who used a public AI chatbot to help analyse his case and prepare documents relating to his defence. In doing so, he entered information obtained through discussions with his lawyers, including elements of his legal strategy.
Traditionally, communications between a lawyer and client are protected by legal professional privilege. However, if the same information is disclosed to a third party, that privilege may be lost.
The court treated the public AI platform as a third party rather than as part of the lawyer-client relationship. As a result, material entered into the AI system could potentially be obtained and examined by the prosecution, thereby undermining the client's defence.
Legal outcomes often depend on complying with filing deadlines, court procedures, notice requirements, and documentation rules.
Missing a procedural requirement can be damaging even when the underlying legal argument is strong. Legal matters also frequently depend on precise terminology rather than simplified descriptions.
Legal questions often require consideration of multiple statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions. AI-generated answers may provide a simplified conclusion that overlooks important exceptions, qualifications, or nuances.
Depending on the platform and its settings, information entered into an AI system may be stored, processed, or reviewed by the service provider.
Users should exercise caution before sharing sensitive personal, financial, business, or legal information with AI systems.
For matters involving criminal charges, immigration status, litigation, business transactions, significant financial consequences, child custody, or estate planning, relying solely on AI can be risky.
Professional legal advice remains essential where important rights or obligations are involved.
Despite these risks, AI can still be a valuable tool when used appropriately. It can assist with:
AI should be viewed as a research assistant rather than a substitute for a qualified lawyer.
For low-risk informational questions, AI can be a useful starting point. However, where decisions may affect your rights, finances, family arrangements, or business interests, professional legal advice remains the safest and most reliable option.
If you need advice from a qualified lawyer, Druitts will be happy to help.
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