Hill Dickinson Restricts AI Tool Access After Surge in Usage

Hill Dickinson, an international law firm, has restricted access to several AI tools after observing a significant increase in their usage by staff, as reported by BBC News. The firm, which employs over a thousand people globally, found that much of the AI usage was not aligned with its policy. Consequently, access to these tools will now be granted only through a request process.

The firm's chief technology officer noted that there were over 32,000 hits to the popular chatbot ChatGPT and more than 3,000 hits to the Chinese AI service DeepSeek within a seven-day period. Additionally, there were nearly 50,000 hits to Grammarly, a writing assistance tool. The firm emphasized that its AI policy prohibits uploading client information and requires staff to verify the accuracy of AI-generated responses.

A spokesperson from the Information Commissioner's Office commented that organizations should not discourage AI use but instead provide tools that comply with data protection obligations. Hill Dickinson aims to embrace AI to enhance capabilities while ensuring safe and proper use for both staff and clients.