The warning comes from Lord Pentland, Scotland’s most senior judge, who said legal professionals must adapt quickly to ensure AI delivers benefits rather than harms.
In a speech to the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow, Lord Pentland said: “My working assumption is that AI is entering the courtroom to stay.
“All judicial officeholders must be ready, able to understand it and make appropriate use of it.
“That inevitably means the profession must adapt.
“To paraphrase a famous saying: ‘You may not be interested in AI, but AI will soon be interested in you.’”
He described the technology as “already being widely used” in Scotland and in courts internationally, but said it also poses “potentially serious” risks.
The technology could improve public access to justice and make courts more efficient and affordable, he said, but only if the legal profession embraces the change and manages the risks.
Lord Pentland’s comments follow those of Lord Reed, President of the UK Supreme Court, who recently warned that courts may need to “fight fire with fire” by deploying AI in response to a surge in legal claims.
In practical terms, AI is already having an impact on the Scottish legal system.
The Scottish Court and Tribunals Service is using natural language processing and generative AI tools to improve transcription, translation, and document summarisation.
AI is also being used to streamline the submission of online forms in civil cases, with the aim of improving efficiency and service quality.
A recent UK and Ireland Legal Insights Report 2026 found that 89% of 500 legal professionals surveyed use AI in some capacity.
Lord Pentland said: “In an age where many people, particularly younger people, no longer rely on traditional channels to obtain information, we must be prepared to think creatively about how to ensure that all sections of the public understand the importance of the independent justice system for them.
“It is not beyond contemplation, that a possible future may emerge whereby the vast majority of civil disputes might be resolved between parties in ways that bypass the traditional courts altogether.
“Where that alternative system is faster, cheaper to use and its outcomes are easier to understand and predict.”
He believes AI could support courts in other ways – for example, by helping judges sort cases or summarise large volumes of materials.
But he cautioned that “judges should not outsource their thinking to an algorithm.”
Practical risks are already appearing.
He said rising numbers of unrepresented people and organisations are using AI to submit materials to court, which are often inaccurate and slow down proceedings.
Any use of AI in the legal system must respect the rule of law and avoid amplifying human biases.
Lord Pentland said: “In the current context, the AI revolution poses real challenges with which the profession and the judiciary must grapple.
“I am confident that it will not, as some of its more overexcited promoters suggest, spell the end of judges and lawyers.”
John Bett, Dean of the Royal Faculty of Procurators, said: “The use of AI across society is moving at such a pace there is no doubt the technology is here to stay.
“The question for those in the legal community is how we use it in a responsible way while maintaining public trust.
“The Lord President’s guidance and experience will be paramount in helping lawyers weighing up the benefits and risks when deciding how to use AI.”
