A recent analysis in Above the Law argues that while artificial intelligence is a new tool in legal practice, the professional duty to understand it is not. The author contends that lawyers' existing obligation to competently handle technology—long established in ethics rules—extends naturally to AI systems. The novel part, the piece suggests, is not the duty itself but the specific risks that AI introduces, particularly hallucinations.
The source points to AI hallucinations—confident but incorrect outputs—as a central concern for legal professionals. Because these errors can appear plausible, they pose a unique trap for lawyers who might rely on AI-generated research or reasoning without verification. The analysis stresses that expertise in law does not automatically translate to expertise in AI's failure modes, so lawyers must actively learn how these systems operate and where they tend to go wrong.
Ultimately, the piece frames AI competence as a practical and ethical necessity rather than a technological luxury. It calls on lawyers to treat AI literacy as part of their professional development, just as they would any other tool that affects client representation. The source does not suggest a new rule is needed, but rather that existing duties already cover this new terrain—provided lawyers take them seriously.