AI firms are not ready to replace us lawyers yet

LAST month, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) authorised the first law firm driven by artificial intelligence.

- BETHAN DARWIN

Garfield Law offers small and medium-sized businesses (including law firms and other professional firms) the use of an AI-powered litigation assistant to help them recover unpaid debts.

Solicitors’ firms are tightly regulated by the SRA. In its press release about its authorisation of Garfield, the SRA said it had engaged with the owners of Garfield Law to make sure its rules could be met by the new firm, with appropriate processes in place to quality-check work, keep client information confidential and safeguard against conflicts of interests.

Paul Philip, SRA chief executive, said: “The first regulatory approval of an AI-based law firm is a landmark moment for legal services in this country.

“With so many people and small businesses struggling to access legal services, we cannot afford to pull up the drawbridge on innovations that could have big public benefits. Responsible use of AI by law firms could improve legal services, while making them easier to access and more affordable.”