Could ChatGPT replace conveyancers and improve home-moving advice?

A conveyancing firm has put the popular artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT to the test to see if it can rival legal advice on home moving.

Bird & Co wanted to see if it could answer the most common first-time buyer queries accurately in place of a property solicitor and it seems that conveyancing jobs may be safe – for now at least.

The study started with a keyword search to discover the top questions related to first-time buyers.

Each question was then plugged into the AI chatbot and analysed by the team to establish whether it could rival advice a solicitor provides.

Whilst conducting the research, ChatGPT provided what Bird & Co said looked like detailed and intricate answers to a lot of the questions posed. It even brought in Government information.

However, Bird & Co claims the details within the answers were not always accurate and the information was often very reductive, without providing much substance. 

Although the answers appeared lengthy and informative, the information given was no better than information you would find online from basic advice blogs or sites, according to the research.

ChatGPT also appeared to oversimplify the processes, which could raise the hopes of first-time buyers, Bird & Co said, claiming an experienced solicitor would be able to provide more in-depth  tailored answers to the client’s circumstances.

For example, when it came to answering, “How much is Stamp Duty in the UK for a first time buyer, Bird & Co said the answer was incorrect and out of date, lacking explanations surrounding locations, dates and temporary structures in place for Stamp Duty, currently in place until March 2025.

It completely ignored that these economic measures from 2022 existed, referring instead to 2017 exemptions.

Daniel Chard, partner and head of property for Bird & Co, said: “The most striking issue with ChatGPT appearing to give legal advice – asides from providing incorrect answers – is that it’s not able to tailor any advice given to the person asking. This could easily lead first-time buyers down a path where they waste time and money if they take advice from chatbots instead of solicitors.

“It is clear AI tools like this could be useful in providing basic understanding to legal queries. It could even be useful as a starting point for many first-time buyers who are curious about the processes involved in buying a home, but responses should be taken as surface level knowledge.

“As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, we think solicitors should embrace the benefits that ChatGPT provides and utilise it to reduce workload. It could be that AI tools are used to answer very basic queries or to draft skeleton documents such as for wills or contracts. This could be utilised by legal professionals to cut down time and workload where applicable.

“However, after carrying out this study, it’s clear ChatGPT has a long way to go before it replaces any form of legal expert in giving actionable advice involving conveyancing.”