UK judges receive groundbreaking guidance on using AI for legal practice

Senior UK judges have published extensive advice on the appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) for judges and magistrates in England and Wales. This is an important step for the UK legal system. The effort to integrate artificial intelligence technologies within the legal framework while also addressing possible risks and ethical issues represents a pioneering effort.

The interjurisdictional judicial body is responsible for launching guidance to courts in England and Wales, providing guidance on how to use generative artificial intelligence systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT in an acceptable manner. It does not specifically restrict the use of these systems to conduct legal research or legal analysis, but allows their use to perform basic labor activities. The advice also provides warnings to judges about signs that legal claims may have been generated by artificial intelligence chatbots. These signs include different interpretations of the same legal issue, as well as references to unknown or false events.

The guidance provided by the court highlights the need for law enforcement authorities to be aware of the possible risks associated with public versions of AI technology. Judges are strongly encouraged not to enter any personal or confidential information of any kind into these systems. Additionally, this guidance will be the first step in a series of support measures to be implemented for the judicial system to deal with artificial intelligence. It is also our intention to create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to further strengthen our recommendations.

Geoffrey Vos, head of civil justice for England and Wales, noted that the guidance was the first of its kind in that jurisdiction. Although Vos emphasized the benefits that artificial intelligence brings to the judicial system, he also emphasized how important it is for judges to understand both its capabilities and limitations. He heavily emphasized the judicial system’s ability to distinguish between real legal claims and claims prepared using artificial intelligence, including the potential to use deepfakes as evidence.

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