Ohio Legal Community Explores Benefits and Risks of AI

https://www.courtnewsohio.gov/happening/2026/AIBenefitsRisks_040226.asp

Publish Date: 2026-04-02 15:26:00

Source Domain: www.courtnewsohio.gov

Prevalence of AI Use in Law: A March survey indicated that over 90% of attorneys worldwide utilize at least one form of artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily work, ranging from grammar checking applications to generative AI for document drafting.
Concerns and “Hallucinations”: The legal profession has raised alarms regarding AI, with more than 350 cases documented in the United States where attorneys have filed documents that include AI-generated, fabricated citations, often termed “hallucinations.”
Benefits of AI in Legal Practice: Panel discussions highlighted numerous benefits of AI integration in law, such as aiding in the detection of mistakes and inconsistencies, automating legal research, expediting case record sleuthing, producing fast transcripts for courtroom proceedings, and facilitating faster case processing.
Cautious Use of AI in Judicial Proceedings: Judge Scott Schlegel emphasized judicial caution in using AI in chambers, noting that while AI can assist with summarizing records and evidence, it should not generate first drafts of decisions due to the risk of misinterpretation and the importance of human judgment.
Legal Education and AI: The panel addressed the need for legal education to include both the use and risks of AI, warning against over-reliance and stressing the importance of legal judgment and analysis before integrating AI tools.
Broader Implications of AI Use in Law: The discussion covered broader effects including adherence to ethical rules, verification of evidence, accessibility issues for individuals with disabilities, and AI’s potential to enable lower-cost legal services.