KUALA LUMPUR: A caution to the legal fraternity on the overreliance of artificial intelligence (AI) by Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has been welcomed by a former president of the Malaysian Bar.
Salim Bashir Bhaskaran said the profession should heed the warning against excessive reliance on generative AI in legal proceedings.
“Artificial intelligence is a replication of human intelligence by machines, using data to produce desired outcomes,” he said.
He warned that AI citing incorrect case law, inventing cases, or relying on outdated authorities were among the key risks in legal work.
Salim said AI systems depend on the data they are trained on, and inaccuracies can lead to serious errors, raising ethical concerns and undermining legal processes.
On Thursday, Free Malaysia Today reported that Wan Ahmad Farid, in a special address, raised concerns about young lawyers being tempted to rely heavily on AI.
He said technology could not weigh compassion or exercise conscience, and was not capable of understanding the human story behind every legal case.
Speaking at the Commonwealth Legal Education Association Conference 2026 at Universiti Malaya, Wan Ahmad Farid said: “To be human is to learn, to err, to struggle, and to remember. There is no doubt that AI has made us use less of our mental faculties. When we outsource our thinking, we are not just saving time… we are losing a part of ourselves. Efficiency is for machines.”
The top judge said while AI is used in legal research, contract analysis, predictive analytics, and even judicial decision-making, it cannot replace the essence of what lawyers and judges do.
Salim said lawyers must tread carefully and verify AI-generated citations against reliable legal databases.
“AI should only be used as a supplementary tool rather than relied on entirely,” Salim said.
He added that the deliberate inclusion of fake citations could lead to contempt proceedings, with serious implications for the administration of justice and public confidence.
Salim also noted that in solicitor-client relationships, clients expect personalised advice, especially when dealing with emotional legal issues, rather than an overreliance on AI.
“Striking the right balance between human expertise and AI automation is crucial to ensure AI is used to support legal work, not replace it,” he said.
