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Hill Dickinson Limits AI Tool Access Amid Spike in Usage
By Angus Tiffin & Graham Fraser, BBC News
Hill Dickinson, an international law firm, has restricted general access to several artificial intelligence (AI) tools after observing a notable rise in their use among employees.
In an internal communication obtained by BBC News, a senior executive at Hill Dickinson, which has a workforce exceeding a thousand in the UK, alerted staff regarding the growing utilization of AI technologies.
The firm indicated that much of this usage was not compliant with its established AI policy. Moving forward, Hill Dickinson will only permit access to these tools through a formal request process.
A representative from the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s regulatory body for data protection, emphasized that companies should not discourage AI use in professional settings. "AI presents myriad opportunities for individuals to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness," the spokesperson stated. "Organizations should not ban AI but rather encourage its responsible use within their frameworks."
In the mentioned email, the Chief Technology Officer revealed that Hill Dickinson recorded over 32,000 accesses to the popular chatbot ChatGPT within a single week during January and February. Furthermore, there were over 3,000 visits to DeepSeek, a Chinese AI service recently prohibited on Australian government devices due to security issues. The correspondence also noted nearly 50,000 accesses to Grammarly, a popular writing assistance tool.
However, the total number of unique users engaging with ChatGPT, DeepSeek, or Grammarly remains unclear, as multiple accesses could indicate repeated visits by the same employee.
"Monitoring the usage of AI tools, particularly publicly available generative AI solutions, has shown a marked increase in both access and the submission of files," the email read.
Embracing AI Responsibly
Hill Dickinson, with offices across the UK and internationally, later conveyed to BBC News their intention to "positively embrace AI technologies to improve our capabilities while ensuring safe and appropriate usage for our employees and clients."
The firm’s AI policy mandates that staff refrain from uploading client data and confirms the necessity of verifying the accuracy of responses generated by large language models, ensuring safety and effectiveness in usage.
Currently, the law firm is permitting access to AI tools only through a request system, with some requests reportedly already approved.
A spokeswoman for the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which oversees solicitors in England and Wales, remarked that while there is increasing interest in cutting-edge technology, a significant digital skills gap still exists across many industries in the UK. "This could pose risks for both firms and clients if legal professionals lack a comprehensive understanding of the technologies they are integrating," she noted.
According to a September survey of 500 UK solicitors conducted by legal software provider Clio, 62% anticipated a rise in AI adoption over the next year. Law firms are increasingly harnessing this technology for tasks such as document drafting, contract analysis, and conducting legal research.
A spokesperson from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology highlighted AI as a "technological advancement" that could liberate employees from monotonous duties and create more fulfilling roles. "We are committed to introducing legislation that safely leverages AI’s vast potential, and will soon initiate a public consultation to address the challenges and opportunities presented by this rapidly evolving technology," they shared with BBC News.
Additional reporting by Liv McMahon
