Developing an artificial intelligence ethics governance checklist for the legal community

This study develops a stakeholder-informed artificial intelligence (AI) ethics governance checklist tailored for Canadian law firms to help them harness the productivity and economic advantages of AI while minimizing the risks of unethical outcomes. Recognizing the limitations of existing AI principles (AIPs) in preventing unethical outcomes, this research uses semi-structured interviews, qualitative content analysis, and expert stakeholder engagement to design an eight-page AI ethics governance checklist. In addition to the output of a practical governance checklist, the study reports findings about the development of stakeholder-informed governance checklists. The findings reveal that Canadian lawyers share global concerns surrounding AI risks, including privacy, accountability, safety and security, transparency and explainability, human oversight, professional responsibility, and the promotion of human values. In addition, many law firms interact with AI primarily through third-party vendors, making a principle-based checklist the most practical approach. The research highlights the importance of question format, suggesting that balancing clarity (using Yes/No options) with flexibility (allowing for open-ended comments) is essential, given the complex ethical considerations. The study also finds there is a need to integrate the checklist with existing policies, such as privacy impact assessments and IT risk evaluations, alongside relevant regulatory frameworks. Additionally, tailoring language and definitions to reflect the specific needs of stakeholders (in this case, lawyers) enhances usability and effectiveness. The resulting eight-page, stakeholder-informed AI ethics governance checklist has been adopted by several Canadian law firms and Barristers’ Societies, offering a practical tool to guide the responsible adoption and use of AI in the legal sector.