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The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that the growing use of artificial intelligence in legal services does not lessen their professional responsibilities, highlighting concerns over inaccurate AI-generated information and risks to client confidentiality.
In a new warning notice, Misuse of AI, the SRA acknowledged that artificial intelligence is increasingly being used across the legal sector to support research, drafting, document review and administrative work. However, it stressed that the use of the technology does not alter the professional standards expected of regulated individuals and firms.
Aileen Armstrong, the SRA’s executive director of strategy and policy, said that although many firms were using AI safely and responsibly, recent cases had demonstrated the need for appropriate human oversight and governance arrangements.
“Firms and solicitors must have appropriate oversight and controls in place to make sure consumers are receiving high-quality legal services and that our standards are met,” she said. “Individuals remain responsible for the work they produce and the advice they provide, regardless of whether AI is used, or not.”
The regulator identified two principal areas of concern: the submission of false or inaccurate information generated by AI, including fictitious legal authorities and citations, and the inappropriate use of AI systems to process confidential client information.
The SRA received 42 reports relating to the potential misuse of AI between July 2025 and July 2026. Several investigations are ongoing, including matters concerning inaccurate legal citations, supervision and confidentiality.
The warning follows a number of cases involving AI-generated legal authorities that were either inaccurate or entirely fictitious. In Harber v HMRC [2023], for example, a self-represented litigant relied on authorities that appeared authentic but did not exist. The SRA also said that several solicitors had self-reported after relying on AI-generated content that proved inaccurate or misleading.
Confidentiality and legal professional privilege present a separate area of risk. The SRA warned that entering confidential client information into AI tools without appropriate contractual and technical safeguards could lead to breaches of confidentiality and wider data protection obligations.
The warning notice refers to UK v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] UKUT 81 (IAC), in which the Upper Tribunal raised concerns about the use of AI in case preparation. The tribunal observed that placing client correspondence and Home Office decision letters into an open-source AI tool could place confidential information in the public domain, potentially breaching client confidentiality and permanently waiving legal professional privilege.
The Law Society of England and Wales welcomed the warning notice, while calling for continuing guidance as the technology develops. Vice president Brett Dixon said AI should support and enhance legal practice rather than replace the role of solicitors in providing trusted advice.
He said the profession would need timely and clear guidance as technological innovation continued to develop rapidly, enabling solicitors to use AI confidently while complying with their professional duties.
The SRA emphasised that existing professional, regulatory and legal obligations continue to apply regardless of the technology used. Solicitors and firms remain responsible for the accuracy and quality of advice and information provided to clients, courts, third parties and regulators.
