In what may be a world first, an artificial intelligence-powered law firm in the UK has won a court case using an AI lawyer to build the case.
Garfield AI, which last year became the first regulated AI legal firm in the UK, assisted freelance HR consultant Tamires Camal Taquidir in recovering £7,000 in unpaid fees following a three-hour trial at Wandsworth County Court in London.
An AI lawyer with Garfield AI dealt with everything from witness statements to trial preparation, before a human barrister presented the case in court.
“The potential this unlocks for access to justice in civil claims that would otherwise not be worth litigating is immense and exciting,” Dominic Li, who served as the human barrister in court, wrote in a post to LinkedIn.
“The statements of case, witness statements and bundle of documents produced by Garfield gave me a solid foundation from which to prepare cross-examination and closing submissions. But this was not a case that could be won on paper.
“My experience suggested that while AI can now do the heavy lifting of preparation competently and at a fraction of the usual cost, the advocacy that wins a contested trial is still done by a human on their feet in court.”
Garfield AI, which is based in Royal Tunbridge Wells, is authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to make claims up to £10,000, though the company said human lawyers remain “firmly in control” of oral advocacy in court.
Claimant Taquidir said the use of an AI lawyer reduced the cost, stress and time of pursuing litigation.
“I was owed money for work I had done, but it felt like the process of recovering it could be too stressful, expensive and time-consuming,” she said.
“Garfield made it possible for me to pursue the claim and keep going. When the counterclaim was brought, it was intended to intimidate me, but I knew I had accessible, cost effective, and competent support. I'm delighted by the result.”
Legal occupations are among the most at risk to automation, according to the AI Exposure Index published in April.
While not necessarily an indication that lawyers will be replaced, the analysis showed that 100 per cent of occupations in the sector are in the “high exposure” category, meaning core cognitive tasks in the profession can be performed by AI.
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