A 35-year-old barrister in London is using ChatGPT to revolutionize how he approaches complex medical cases. Anthony Searle turned to AI when a coroner denied his request for an independent expert report in a case involving a man who died unexpectedly after cardiac surgery. The AI tool helped him craft more focused questions about surgical procedures, filling gaps left by the lack of expert testimony.

Searle emphasizes he never inputs client data into AI systems and carefully vets all information the bot produces. His work represents a tentative step toward modernizing the centuries-old legal profession, where barristers' clerks traditionally handle fee negotiations and scheduling. Potential applications extend to drafting skeleton arguments and creating specialized tools like his app for calculating damages in clinical negligence claims, which analyzes actuarial tables to provide more precise estimates.

Despite AI's growing presence in legal circles, with 50% of barristers using it for legal work according to a 2026 survey, only 2% have fully integrated it into their operations. The industry faces significant hurdles including client confidentiality concerns and high-profile cases where AI-generated fake citations undermined court proceedings. While large firms announce AI initiatives and offer bonuses for usage, Searle believes the technology's real value lies in helping lawyers understand complex medical topics rather than in legal research itself, where the law remains settled.

For Searle, AI serves as a research assistant that enhances his ability to litigate cases involving medical procedures, though he maintains that human judgment and empathy remain essential to the legal system.