Lawyers should only use artificial intelligence for the most basic of tasks, and must be able to personally verify the accuracy and security of any instances of AI use in practice, according to a new statement issued by legal regulators in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.

The new guidance to solicitors is the latest reaction from regulators and the courts to the use of new technology by lawyers, who have rushed to adopt in-house and off-the-shelf legal AI products, after the NSW Supreme Court last week issued a conservative practice note regarding the employment of AI in submissions and evidence to court.