Some recent research for the Association of Lifetime Lawyers has revealed that 72% of UK adults aged between 30 and 34 would consider using Aritficial Intelligence (AI) to update their will.
A will is one of the most important documents that anyone enters into. It sets out what the person making the will (called the 'testator') wants to happen to their property, money and possessions after their death. It allows the testator to appoint executors to deal with their estate, they can make charitable gifts and can try to arrange their affairs to be more tax efficient. If a person does not make a will, their assets will be divided in accordance with a strict list of entitlement called the intestacy rules; this means that loved ones might not inherit at all.
So, it might seem to be a good thing for more people to have a will, even one generated using AI. But it is important to remember that a will is a complex document and the interpretation of the wording of wills is strict. The legal meaning of even the simplest word can be important in the context of a will.
AI may produce an adequate will – but the key is that the testator will not know. Many words and phrases in wills have a technical meaning and AI is unlikely to be accurate enough yet to produce a will without error. What people forget about making a will is that errors often only come to light after the testator has died and by then, the person who could explain what they meant is no longer around to ask.
It is also worth remembering BBC research published on 11th February 2025 revealed that 51% of all AI answers to questions about the news were judged to have problems and factual errors*. For the time being at least, this problem will be worse where complex legal terminology is used.
So, despite the attraction of AI, it will give greater peace of mind to have a will prepared by a specialist solicitor. Even the simplest of estates can present complex drafting challenges.
To discuss this or any other wills matter, contact us.
* https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/bbc-research-shows-issues-with-answers-from-artificial-intelligence-assistants