ONE in six people facing legal troubles have used AI chatbots for advice or information, a study found today.

Lacklustre legal support has driven up AI usage with people looking for help on issues outside of the regular scope of legal aid, human rights and legal reform charity Justice said.

Almost half of the 3,287 people surveyed by the charity and the Administrative Fairness Lab have had a legal dispute in the past two years, with 233 of those saying they used a chatbot to solve the issue.

Participants used AI to explain legal jargon, check lawyers’ advice, draft complaints, and to receive emotional reassurance.

Many described feeling frightened by court proceedings, saying they were worried they could lose their job as a result and feeling overwhelmed by the uncertainty of ongoing legal disputes.

Justice’s Ellen Lefley warned that reliance on AI for “unmet legal need” risked further excluding the most marginalised and causing “even more confusion and inequality.”