Lawyers’ concerns over AI errors rise as adoption surges

Dimitar Dimitrov is a content and engagement coordinator at LawCareers.Net

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Concerns about AI errors and hallucinations among lawyers have climbed sharply, even as use of the technology continues to grow across the legal profession, according to new research from LexisNexis.

The report, which surveyed 543 legal professionals, found that 83% of lawyers are now worried about “inaccurate or fabricated AI-generated information”, up from 57% at the beginning of 2024. It comes as AI adoption for legal work reaches a new peak, with 94% of lawyers saying they use AI, compared to just 61% last year and 11% in 2023.

The findings also suggest growing unease about AI’s wider impact. More than three-quarters (77%) of lawyers believe AI is “causing clients or the general public to misinterpret the law”, while one in 10 respondents described themselves as “dependent” on the technology to do their jobs.

After concerns about errors and hallucinations, lawyers’ biggest worries were confidential data leakage (53%) and becoming too reliant on AI (52%). More than a quarter (27%) feared AI could reduce the quality of their work, while 21% cited accidental bias and 9% said it could increase the amount of material they need to review.

One leader at a large law firm reported a “huge increase in litigation”, stating that AI was enabling more claimants to bring cases, “not all of which will be meritorious”.

Despite these concerns, AI use is becoming increasingly embedded in day-to-day legal practice. Three-quarters of lawyers use AI at least once a week, while 34% rely on it daily. Adoption was highest among in-house legal teams, with 89% using AI weekly, compared with 68% of lawyers in small firms and just over half of barristers.

Legal research was the most common application, used by 69% of respondents, followed by document summarisation (62%), drafting (53%) and document review (53%).

The research also found a growing preference for AI tools that are linked to authoritative legal sources. Eight in 10 lawyers said they felt more comfortable using AI grounded in legal content, up from 70% a year ago.

Commenting on the findings, LexisNexis report editor Dylan Brown said: “The findings point to a legal profession that is becoming more comfortable with AI, but more demanding about the trust, accuracy and authority behind it.

“As adoption accelerates, lawyers increasingly want AI tools that support rather than replace professional judgement.”