Lawyers urge caution over AI use in legal practice
Legal experts, including Oyetola Atoyebi, have raised concerns about the unregulated use of Artificial Intelligence in the legal sector. Speaking at the Lex Ferenda Conference 2026 at the University of Lagos, they highlighted risks such as deepfakes, plagiarism, and ethical issues. The event brought together practitioners, academics, and students to discuss the evolving role of technology in law. Calls were made for clear regulations to ensure AI complements rather than replaces human expertise.
What we know
- Oyetola Atoyebi, represented by Joseph Adewumi, emphasized the need for regulation as AI becomes integral to legal practice.
- Guest speaker Olumide Osundolire, represented by Mubarak Dosunmu, noted that AI has transformed legal research and global collaboration.
- Daniel Igiekhumhe warned against assuming AI could fully replace lawyers, stressing the importance of oversight.
- Joshua Abe pointed out that current laws do not allow AI to legally provide legal services without human involvement.
- The conference addressed incidents of AI-generated court materials and the necessity of human verification in legal processes.
