A survey commissioned by Thomson Reuters found that 48 per cent of lawyers in UK firms and 50 per cent of UK in-house lawyers support self-regulation, with 36 per cent of lawyers in firms and 44 per cent of in-house lawyers backing government regulation.

The same survey in the US found even lower support for government regulation, with only 26 per cent backing in the US and Canada, the English Law Society Gazette reports.

Kriti Sharma, chief product officer for legal tech at Thomson Reuters, said: “Regulation plays a critical role in instilling the trust needed to achieve widespread adoption of AI solutions.

“That said, it’s exciting to also see firms taking clear steps to self-regulate such as investing in AI skills training, and setting robust guidelines, so they can start harnessing its benefits now while also ensuring its safe use.”