The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has revealed that it received 42 reports about the potential misuse of AI over the last 12 months.
The disclosure accompanies the SRA’s publication today of a ‘warning notice’ to solicitors, alerting them to the dangers of AI misuse. The reports were received between July 2025 and July 2026, with the regulator saying a number of investigations are ongoing into issues including inaccurate legal citations, supervision and confidentiality.
The SRA said it had received reports of potential breaches of its code of conduct from senior members of the judiciary alongside “several instances of solicitors self-reporting where they have relied on AI tools that have generated inaccurate or misleading content”.
The two areas of concern highlighted by the regulator are “AI-generated inaccuracies, or ‘hallucinations’ in legal research, advice, analysis and submissions to the court” and “instances of confidential client information being entered into AI tools that lack appropriate safeguards”.
Among the cases the warning notice cites is Cork and another v Smith. In his judgment, Insolvency and Companies Court (ICC) Judge Mullen publicly admonished Pinsent Masons after a junior solicitor used artificial intelligence to draft two misleading letters in an insolvency application.
Pinsents, which self-reported the incident to the SRA, “apologised unreservedly to the court” and said it was “taking steps to strengthen our processes and oversight to ensure this does not happen again”.
SRA executive director strategy and policy Aileen Armstrong said: "AI is already benefiting consumers and legal professionals, and we are increasingly seeing firms use it in innovative ways to improve services and efficiency. However, the use of AI does not change the professional standards expected of solicitors and law firms.
"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. Individuals remain responsible for the work they produce and the advice they provide, regardless of whether AI is used, or not."
In the notice, the SRA says solicitors should check material produced by the technology before relying on it, particularly in court, stressing that AI “does not diminish or transfer” lawyers’ professional responsibilities.
The regulator also warns that both free and paid AI tools can pose confidentiality risks depending on how they handle data and that client information should only be entered into systems with “appropriate contractual, technical and organisational safeguards” in place.
Law Society of England and Wales vice president Brett Dixon welcomed the warning notice and guidance provided by the SRA, adding: “Technological innovation in legal processes and service delivery is advancing at speed. As the use of AI evolves rapidly, the SRA will need to continue providing the profession with swift and clear guidance so solicitors can use AI with confidence in line with their duties."
In 2023, the SRA published a Risk Outlook report on the use of AI, which provides guidance on how firms can manage the risks associated with its use.
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