Ethical and responsible use of Generative AI

Did Taylor Swift endorse Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election in the USA?

Trump appeared to think so, sharing on social media some artificial intelligence (AI) generated imagery that appeared to suggest this.

However, a month later, Swift made public her support for Kamala Harris, the other candidate, doing so because of her concerns about the misinformation spread by the false AI-generated images, saying:

This example may make you smile or roll your eyes at the hype surrounding elections.

However, it is an example of how the unethical and irresponsible use of Generative AI (GenAI) can lead to real-world problems. The endorsement of politicians by celebrities has always been important (for example, Frank Sinatra’s endorsement of John F Kennedy), and with 53% of USA adults saying they were a fan of Taylor Swift in March 2023, her fans were a voting bloc which couldn’t be ignored.

This course will explore the importance of using GenAI ethically and responsibly in the context of the legal profession. It will consider some of the ethical concerns around GenAI and how to mitigate against those risks. It will also discuss the importance of human oversight and trust in GenAI tools.

An introduction to the course

Timing: Allow 4 minutes

Listen to this audio clip in which Liz Hardie discusses some of the issues that will be considered in this course.

You can make notes in the box below.

Download this audio clip.Audio player: c5_intro_to_course_5.mp3

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Transcript

Liz Hardie:

Welcome to course 5, which is about the ethical and responsible use of Generative AI. As we have learnt in the previous courses, generative AI tools are fast becoming a part of everyday legal practice and public life. Whether you're a legal professional, an adviser, or someone using AI tools to explore legal questions, this technology holds incredible promise—but also significant risk.

In this course, you’ll learn why using AI responsibly and ethically isn’t just best practice—it’s essential. We’ll unpack how AI can generate confident but completely false information—what we call “hallucinations.” We’ll talk about how bias in training data can lead to discriminatory outcomes, and why transparency and trust are critical, especially in legal contexts.

There are also big questions about privacy, the over-reliance on generative AI tools leading to a deterioration in skills, and even the environmental footprint of these tools.

But here’s the good news: by understanding the challenges and knowing how to spot them, you can make smart, ethical decisions that protect you, your credibility and your client.

AI is a powerful tool—but you’re the one in control. Let’s make sure we use it wisely.

Ready to learn more?

End transcript

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Discussion

Generative AI can be a fantastic tool but when it is misused it can have real world harmful consequences. You have already seen how a Generative AI image of Taylor Swift had the potential to influence the American elections in 2024.

The next section will start with a reminder of some of the concerns about using GenAI tools for legal advice and information, which was introduced in the first course in the series. This fifth course assumes you understand how GenAI and LLMs work: if you are not sure about this, we recommend you complete the first course Understanding Generative AI [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

This is a self-paced course of around 180 minutes including a short quiz. We have divided the course into three sessions, so you do not need to complete the course in one go. You can do as much or as little as you like. If you pause you will be able to return to complete the course at a later date. Your answers to any activities will be saved for you.

A digital badge and a course certificate are awarded upon completion. To receive these, you must complete all sections of the course and pass the course quiz.