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19 April 2024 / Tom Bedford
Issue: 8067 / Categories: Features , Profession , Artificial intelligence , Technology , Career focus
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AI: asset or liability for lawyers?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
Tom Bedford predicts potential trip-hazards ahead & suggests ways to smooth the artificial intelligence road
  • Reminds lawyers to be aware of the limitations of AI.
  • Predicts negligence and duty of care claims arising from AI use.
  • Provides points to help firms get the switch to AI right.

According to ChatGPT, ‘AI can potentially be both an asset and a liability for law firms, depending on how it’s utilised and managed.’

We agree. Generative AI models are already demonstrating an ability to undertake legal research, review contracts and summarise legal documents. Given the current rate of technological advancement, AI will fundamentally alter the practice of law.

It is also popular, and firms are feeling the pressure to jump on the AI bandwagon in order to appear innovative and to maintain competitive edge. Reportedly, 75% of the largest firms in the UK are now using AI in some way.

Firms must remember, however, that AI has limitations. The current generation of AI chatbots possess a huge amount of

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The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
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Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
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The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
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A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
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