The legal profession was among the first to be directly affected by artificial intelligence technologies. This is hardly surprising: large volumes of text, legal analysis, document drafting, and searching for precedents all align perfectly with what AI can optimize. It can relieve specialists from routine work — the long-standing “pain point” of legal practice that remains relevant even today, albeit in new forms.
In Uzbekistan, as in many other countries, most AI breakthroughs are driven by the IT industry. However, the legal sector is also adapting rapidly. Increasingly, lawyers use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other models in their daily workflow.
This article provides an overview of how artificial intelligence is being integrated into the legal sector in Uzbekistan, the opportunities it creates, and the practical challenges faced by businesses, legal professionals, and the legal system itself.
Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is steadily advancing toward building a digital state, and artificial intelligence has become one of the key priorities of government policy, supported by a range of foundational regulatory acts.
The initial regulatory step was Presidential Decree No. PP-4996 of 17 February 2021, which positioned AI not as an abstract future technology but as a practical tool for improving public services. This document effectively marked the beginning of a systematic approach to integrating AI across government institutions. The next major milestone was the adoption of the Artificial Intelligence Development Strategy until 2030 (Presidential Decree No. PP-358 of 14 October 2024). Unlike prior policy papers, it offered a detailed roadmap: developing a national AI ecosystem, research centers, a talent pipeline, and phased implementation across key sectors.
A significant step followed on 1 November 2025, when the Senate adopted the Law “On Relations Arising from the Use of Artificial Intelligence.” The law establishes the legal status of AI and introduces the principle that algorithmic decisions affecting human rights cannot be made without human involvement. It also requires mandatory labeling of AI-generated content, including images, audio, and video. In effect, Uzbekistan has moved closer to the European regulatory model, emphasizing transparency, rights protection, and preventing the covert use of algorithms in socially significant areas.
Regulating artificial intelligence is no longer an innovation but an objective necessity. China, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and even CIS countries are actively shaping their own AI governance frameworks. Although a universal global agreement does not yet exist, the international community is moving toward harmonized standards. Notably, in May 2024, the Council of Europe adopted the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, the first international instrument establishing common principles for safe AI deployment within the EU.
Practical implementation of AI in the public and legal Sector of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is gradually transforming AI from policy concepts into real practice. Government bodies are testing algorithms in courts, public service platforms, the banking sector, and legal information systems. This demonstrates a clear trend: AI in Uzbekistan is evolving not only as a business tool but as a mechanism for improving governance, accessibility of services, and operational efficiency. Below are the key areas shaping the practical reality of a digital Uzbekistan.
Digital Courts
The “Digital Court” project, highlighted in August 2025, represents one of the most notable steps toward integrating AI in the justice system. Courts are transitioning to electronic case files, automated decision templates, digital hearing transcripts, and forecasting tools for case duration. AI already assists court staff by processing large volumes of information more quickly and accurately, reducing administrative workload. Judicial discretion remains intact, reflecting the government’s cautious but pragmatic approach to avoid risks associated with automated decision-making.
MUXLISA AI
MUXLISA AI is one of the most prominent examples of AI used in public services. This virtual assistant responds to citizens’ inquiries, explains procedures, helps with document navigation, and simplifies interaction with government portals. It significantly reduces the load on call-center operators and makes communication with state services more accessible. Its implementation shows that the government recognizes the importance of front-office automation and aims to create a unified 24/7 service interface.
Banking Sector
Private banks in Uzbekistan were the first major players to widely adopt AI for client analytics, risk assessment, fraud detection, chatbots, and scoring. Over the past two years, state-owned banks have also accelerated their technological transformation. AI is now used for application processing, internal document automation, and operational risk management. As a result, AI adoption has shifted from being a marker of innovation to becoming a baseline requirement for the sector’s competitiveness.
LexAI
The LexAI platform deserves particular attention. Developed by the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Information Center, it is the first state-run legal AI assistant integrated into the Lex.uz ecosystem, the country’s main database of legal acts. LexAI analyzes user queries, identifies relevant norms, provides links to laws, and even drafts documents. Bringing AI into such a fundamental legal system shows that the state sees AI not as a supplementary tool but as an integral component of the future infrastructure of legal information.
How AI is transforming the Legal profession
Practice of Leading Law Firms
Major global law firms, including Baker McKenzie, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, and Dentons are actively integrating AI into day-to-day operations. AI is used to prepare memoranda, conduct preliminary contract analysis, process judicial precedents, and structure case strategies. Platforms like Harvey, implemented at Allen & Overy, demonstrate that AI is no longer experimental but a practical operational tool. The overall trend is clear: AI reduces routine workloads, accelerates service delivery, and enables lawyers to focus on strategic consulting and complex legal matters.
How the Legal talent market is changing
With the rise of generative models, the expectations placed on lawyers have shifted. Proficiency in English or other languages is no longer a decisive skill — AI can reliably translate contracts, letters, and technical legal texts. What now matters is the lawyer’s ability to work with AI, structure arguments, present legal positions effectively, and deliver client-ready results. Firms increasingly seek specialists capable of verifying AI outputs, working with data, and producing high-quality documents rather than simply drafting text. For young lawyers, the profession is shifting from mechanical document preparation toward roles anchored in analysis and knowledge management.
How Client expectations are changing
The accessibility of AI platforms has made clients more selective. Where it was once difficult to evaluate the quality of legal drafting, many clients now compare documents using AI, test alternative wording, and ask deeper questions. As a result, expectations for speed, accuracy, and transparency have risen sharply. Businesses increasingly ask what distinguishes a lawyer’s work from what AI can produce, forcing professionals to reposition their value around strategy, risk evaluation, and bespoke solutions. Trust is now built not on the volume of work but on the added value a lawyer can provide.
AI as the internal “Second Brain” of Law firms
A growing trend in the legal industry is the creation of private internal AI models. Firms are developing proprietary AI assistants trained on their internal knowledge base, templates, litigation positions, internal guidelines, and methodologies. These systems function as intelligent archives that help lawyers work faster and more consistently. Knowledge transfer now occurs not only through mentoring but also through the firm’s AI-based “memory.” In essence, legal organizations are building unique digital expertise that cannot be replicated externally.
Limitations and Challenges of using AI in Legal work
Despite rapid progress, AI faces fundamental limitations within legal practice. First, AI models learn from statistical patterns rather than legal reasoning. Though they generate linguistically convincing text, they cannot evaluate legal strength, procedural implications, or contextual risks. Every AI-generated recommendation requires professional review to avoid critical errors in memoranda, pleadings, or contracts.
Second, AI struggles to interpret legal norms within factual, procedural, and jurisdictional contexts. Legal assessment often hinges on nuances, a clause may change meaning depending on the type of dispute, the court, the regulator’s position, or the interplay between norms. AI often overlooks these subtleties, producing plausible but inaccurate answers.
Third, professional restrictions apply. Certain legal services, such as legal expertise, complex consultations, risk assessments, and legal opinions require licensing and professional accountability. OpenAI explicitly prohibits using ChatGPT as a source of professional legal advice without attorney oversight. Its policy states that the model cannot act as a lawyer or provide legally binding recommendations.
Fourth, issues of confidentiality and data protection are critical. Legal work involves sensitive data, and using open AI platforms without safeguards can lead to breaches. Many global firms have moved to closed corporate AI models to mitigate these risks. As Uzbekistan strengthens its personal data regulations, this challenge becomes even more significant.
Finally, AI-assisted outputs lack independent procedural validity. Courts cannot rely on algorithmic inferences, and any AI-influenced expert report must be validated by a qualified professional. AI speeds up analysis, but legal force and responsibility remain exclusively with the human specialist.
What to expect next?
Artificial intelligence has moved beyond experimentation and become part of legal reality globally and in Uzbekistan. The state is building strategy, adopting laws, launching digital courts, and deploying legal AI platforms. Law firms are redesigning workflows, mastering new tools, and elevating competency standards. Meanwhile, clients increasingly expect speed, precision, and high-level analysis.
In the coming years, AI will further integrate into legal work not as a substitute for professional judgment, but as a powerful support mechanism. The legal market will increasingly divide between those who can work effectively with AI and those who remain within outdated models. It is already clear that a lawyer’s value is defined not by routine output, but by the ability to form positions, make decisions, develop strategies, and assume responsibility (tasks AI cannot replace).
The central forecast is straightforward – AI will not eliminate lawyers, it will redefine their role.