Surveys found that half of the British would believe in AI’s legal advice, but experts urge caution
Artificial intelligence may be revolutionizing everything from administrators to healthcare, but will you trust it in legal matters? According to a new survey by the Legal Director, half of the UK’s adults have hailed the findings and attracted fascination and attention from the entire legal department.
Polls found that 50% of Britons will turn to AI through traditional legal decision-making lawyers, while another 56% of Britons will believe it can interpret contracts or terms and conditions. 55% of young respondents and men and more than 60% of respondents said they will rely on AI for legal guidance. By comparison, only 39% of over 75% would consider doing so.
Perhaps most surprisingly, one-third of respondents said they trust AI rather than friends for legal advice, while nearly half (46%) said they would use it before seeking health advice. But while interest in digital decision making is growing, experts sound cautious.
Legal Director’s attorney Kiley Tan warned that in the legal context, AI tools, especially large language models for unverified legal data training, are not yet suitable for purposes. “Legal services can be expensive, and there is no doubt that AI seems to be a clever solution. But while the convincing results may be inaccurate,” he said. “Legal, closure is not good enough.”
Tan also noted that most contracts are not publicly available and therefore fall outside the data sets of most AI systems. This lack of access to real-world legal documents further limits the AI’s ability to provide reasonable advice or enforce draft contracts.
Although technology missionaries praise AI for its speed and cost efficiency, the survey shows that trust in AI drops dramatically as tasks become more personal or outcomes. Two-thirds of respondents said they would not let AI perform surgery on themselves or their loved ones. More than half don’t believe in planning a wedding or handling bills.
Sarah Clark, chief revenue officer of the Legal Director, responded to these concerns: “AI is very good at categorizing data and automation administrators, but when it comes to legal nuances are the problem. Background, consequences, emotional insights – these are crucial when interpreting the law or negotiating the results of the legal.”
Even one of the most technologically forward-looking people – skepticism remains among those aged 18 to 29. While they are most likely to consider AI seeking legal support, 43% still say they won’t trust it completely, and nearly 40% will not rely on AI to read contracts on their behalf.
Ultimately, only 15% of the UK public said they believe AI can perform all the tasks they were asked, which clearly shows that human touch is still in the judgment, and areas of risk and responsibility are still important.
As AI continues to provide professional services, the information from the legal community is clear: use technology to assist rather than replace. For now, when it comes to legal complexity, it still cannot replace the well-trained eyes of human experts.
