04 September 2026
You may lose legal privilege if you upload your personal information to AI tools
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and other AI chatbots are becoming part of everyday life. They can help people find information, explain complicated subjects and produce answers in seconds.
But when it comes to legal matters, there are some important reasons to think carefully before entering information into an AI tool.
If you are dealing with a solicitor, you may have received emails, letters or documents containing information that is private and specific to your circumstances. You might be tempted to copy and paste that information into an AI chatbot and ask it to explain what it means or tell you what you should do next.
Our advice is simple: think carefully about what you are sharing.
Don't assume AI is private
An AI chatbot is a third-party service. When you enter information into an AI system, you are providing that information to the provider of that service.
The way information is handled can vary between different AI providers, accounts and settings. Depending on the service, information may be stored, retained or otherwise processed.
This means you should not automatically assume that information you enter into an AI chatbot is private simply because you are using it from your own computer or phone.
The Law Society advises users to consider the risks of generative AI providers being able to access input and output data and, generally, advises against putting confidential information into online generative AI tools where there is no direct control or oversight.
Read the Law Society's guidance: Generative AI – the essentials
The information you enter could also contain more personal information than you realise.
For example, you might paste in:
Once that information has been submitted to a third-party AI service, you may have limited control over what happens to it.
What about documents we've sent you?
This is particularly important if you are an existing client. You may receive a letter or email from us containing information specific to your circumstances. You might then think:
"I'll put this into ChatGPT and ask it to explain it in simpler terms."
Although that may seem harmless, you should consider the information contained within the document before doing so.
If you do not understand something we have sent you, the safest option is to contact us and ask us to explain it.
Information we send you is no longer confidential if you copy it into an open AI tool.
Our correspondence may contain confidential or personal information relating to you, your family, your finances, your property, your business or another person.
Remember too that other people may be using AI and access information from which they will be able to identify you or other parties such as your children from the details that you upload. If you receive a letter concerning your divorce and financial information, for example, and you upload it to an open AI tool, then your spouse or their solicitors who will be searching for similar information may come across the private advice to you from your lawyer that you have uploaded.
Our position on information entered into AI
AI tools are operated by third-party providers and are outside our control. Aldridge Brownlee Solicitors cannot control or accept responsibility if clients choose to submit their information to third-party AI services, or how those services process, retain or use that information.
This includes information contained in correspondence, documents or advice we have provided to you.
If you choose to copy, upload or otherwise submit information relating to your legal matter to an AI service, you are responsible for considering the privacy and confidentiality implications of doing so.
We therefore recommend that you do not enter personal, confidential or sensitive information into AI tools and, where you need help understanding information we have provided, contact your solicitor directly.
