Law firm restricts AI after ‘significant’ staff use

A world regulation agency has blocked basic entry to a number of synthetic intelligence (AI) instruments after it discovered a “important enhance in utilization” by its workers.

In an e-mail seen by the BBC, a senior director of Hill Dickinson, which employs greater than a thousand folks within the UK, warned workers of the usage of AI instruments.

The agency stated a lot of the utilization was not according to its AI coverage, and going ahead the agency would solely enable workers to entry the instruments by way of a request course of.

A spokesperson from the Data Commissioner’s Workplace – the UK’s knowledge watchdog – advised BBC Information that companies mustn’t discourage the usage of AI in work.

The spokesperson added: “With AI providing folks numerous methods to work extra effectively and successfully, the reply can’t be for organisations to outlaw the usage of AI and drive workers to make use of it below the radar.

“As an alternative, corporations want to supply their workers AI instruments that meet their organisational insurance policies and knowledge safety obligations.”

Within the e-mail, Hill Dickinson’s chief know-how officer stated the regulation agency had detected greater than 32,000 hits to the favored chatbot ChatGPT over a seven-day interval in January and February.

Throughout the identical timeframe, there have been additionally greater than 3,000 hits to the Chinese language AI service DeepSeek, which was just lately banned from Australian government devices over security concerns.

It additionally highlighted virtually 50,000 hits to Grammarly, the writing help device.

Nevertheless, it’s not clear on what number of events workers visited ChatGPT, DeepSeek, or Grammarly, or what number of workers visited repeatedly, as a number of hits might have been generated by a person throughout each time they used the web sites.

The e-mail to Hill Dickinson workers stated: “We have now been monitoring utilization of Al instruments, notably publicly accessible generative Al options, and have seen a big enhance in utilization of, and importing of recordsdata to, such instruments.”

Hill Dickinson, who’ve places of work in a number of elements of England and overseas, later advised BBC Information: “Like many regulation companies, we’re aiming to positively embrace the usage of AI instruments to reinforce our capabilities whereas at all times guaranteeing protected and correct use by our folks and for our shoppers.”

The agency added that its AI coverage, which incorporates steerage that prohibits the importing of consumer data and requires workers to confirm the accuracy of the massive language fashions’ responses, will make sure that utilization “will stay protected, safe and efficient”.

The agency is now solely granting entry to AI instruments by way of a request course of. It’s understood that some requests have already been acquired and accepted.

A spokesperson from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which regulates solicitors in England and Wales, advised BBC Information: “Regardless of this elevated curiosity in new know-how, there stays an absence of digital expertise throughout all sectors within the UK.

“This might current a danger for companies and customers if authorized practitioners don’t totally perceive the brand new know-how that’s applied.”

Based on a survey of 500 UK solicitors by authorized software program supplier Clio in September, 62% anticipated a rise in AI utilization over the next 12 months.

It discovered regulation companies throughout the UK have been utilizing the know-how to finish duties corresponding to drafting paperwork, reviewing or analysing contracts and authorized analysis.

A Division for Science, Innovation and Know-how spokesperson described AI as a “technological leap” that may “free employees from repetitive duties and unlock extra rewarding alternatives”.

They advised BBC Information: “We’re dedicated to bringing ahead laws which permits us to securely realise AI’s monumental advantages. We’re partaking broadly and can launch a public session sooner or later to make sure our strategy successfully addresses this fast-evolving know-how.”

Further reporting by Liv McMahon