US Lawyers Warn: Be Cautious Using AI for Legal Issues—Chat Logs May Be Subpoenaed

As more people turn to AI for advice, many US lawyers are warning clients not to treat chatbots as confidential in matters involving legal liability or personal freedom. A New York federal judge once ruled that a former executive charged with securities fraud must submit his conversations with Claude, and could not refuse disclosure on confidentiality grounds.

In the US legal system, lawyer-client communications are protected by privilege, but AI lacks this status. Court rulings vary: a Michigan judge held that a pro se litigant's ChatGPT conversations could be considered personal work product and not required to be submitted. Lawyers advise choosing closed systems when using AI, or doing so under lawyer guidance to avoid chat logs being subpoenaed.