April 2026

Navigating the AI Ethics Minefield: What Legal Teams Need to Get Right

AI is already part of how legal teams work. The real question is whether it’s being used well. In our recent CPD webinar, Anna Jaff, Oliver Todd, Jeannie Paterson and Niels Wouters
joined us to explore what ethical AI use actually looks like in practice and where teams are getting caught out.

Here’s what matters.
1. The biggest risk isn’t AI. It’s “invisible” AI
Shadow use of AI tools is already happening across most organisations. Unofficial tools, used on personal devices.

The risk? Confidential information going into platforms without safeguards, and outputs being relied on without proper scrutiny.

If you don’t know what’s being used, you can’t manage it.

2. AI sounds confident. That doesn’t make it right AI is designed to give clear, polished answers. Which makes it easy to trust.

But that confidence can lead to automation bias and, over time, verification fatigue. People stop checking as closely as they should.

For legal teams, that’s where risk can quietly build.

3. Policies won’t fix this on their own Governance matters, but ethical AI use comes down to how teams actually work day-to-day.

Some things that can help:

• Clear guidance on approved tools
• Training that builds understanding, not just compliance
• Treating AI outputs as a starting point, not a final answer

This isn’t about restricting use. It’s about lifting capability.

4. The teams getting ahead are the ones learning fast
AI is evolving quickly. The teams doing this well aren’t waiting for certainty. They’re moving forward, while effectively managing risk.

This involves testing, openly sharing what works, and adjusting as they go. That’s what builds confidence and reduces risk at the same time.

So where to from here?

A few simple questions:

• Do you know what AI tools your team is using?
• Are people trained to question the outputs?
• Is there a clear approach to managing risk, not just avoiding it?

If the answer to any of these is ‘no’, that’s a good place to start.

All of this (and more) is unpacked in the full CPD webinar discussion.