Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising everything from admin to healthcare, but would you trust it with your legal affairs? According to a new survey by The Legal Director, half of UK adults would — a finding that has sparked both fascination and concern across the legal sector.
The poll found that 50% of Brits would turn to AI over a traditional solicitor for legal decision-making, and a further 56% would trust it to interpret contracts or terms and conditions. That figure rose among younger respondents and men, with 55% of men and over 60% of Gen Z respondents saying they would rely on AI for legal guidance. By contrast, just 39% of over-75s would consider doing so.
Perhaps most surprisingly, a third of respondents said they would trust AI over friends for legal advice, while nearly half (46%) said they’d use it before seeking health advice. But while the appetite for digital decision-making is growing, experts are sounding a note of caution.
Kiley Tan, a lawyer at The Legal Director, warned that AI tools – especially large language models not trained on verified legal material – are not yet fit for purpose in a legal context. “Legal services can be expensive, and there’s no doubt that AI seems like a clever workaround. But the results, though convincing, can be wildly inaccurate,” he said. “And in law, close isn’t good enough.”
Tan also pointed out that most contracts are not publicly available and so fall outside the datasets on which most AI systems are trained. This lack of access to real-world legal documents further limits AI’s ability to offer sound advice or draft enforceable contracts.
While tech evangelists praise AI for its speed and cost-efficiency, the survey revealed that trust in AI drops sharply as tasks become more personal or consequential. Two-thirds of respondents said they wouldn’t let AI perform surgery on themselves or a loved one. Over half wouldn’t trust it to plan their wedding or handle their bills.
Sarah Clark, Chief Revenue Officer at The Legal Director, echoed these concerns: “AI is brilliant at sorting data and automating admin, but when it comes to law, nuance matters. Context, consequences, emotional insight — these are all vital when interpreting the law or negotiating a legal outcome.”
Even among the most tech-forward demographic — those aged 18 to 29 — scepticism remains. While they were the most likely to consider AI for legal support, 43% still said they wouldn’t fully trust it, and nearly 40% wouldn’t rely on AI to read a contract on their behalf.
Ultimately, just 15% of the UK public said they would trust AI to perform all the tasks they were asked about — a clear indication that the human touch still matters in areas of judgement, risk and responsibility.
As AI continues its march into professional services, the message from the legal world is clear: use technology to assist, not replace. For now, when it comes to navigating legal complexity, there’s still no substitute for the trained eye of a human expert.
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Half of Brits would trust AI for legal advice, survey finds – but experts urge caution