PENNSYLVANIA — As artificial intelligence becomes a go-to tool for everything from resumes to taxes, a growing number of Pennsylvanians are now trusting it with something far more consequential: their final wishes. A new survey suggests that confidence may be dangerously misplaced.
A poll of 1,500 adults commissioned by Choice Mutual found that 59 percent of Pennsylvanians would consider using AI to write their will, drawn by the promise of speed, convenience and low cost. But legal and insurance experts warn the trend could leave families vulnerable to invalid documents, court battles and costly delays when estates are settled.
“Wills are not just documents — they are legal instruments that have to meet very specific state requirements,” said Anthony Martin, founder of Choice Mutual, a life insurance agency specializing in final expense coverage. “AI can generate language, but it can’t guarantee that a will is valid, enforceable, or aligned with the realities of someone’s family situation.”
Estate law varies sharply by state, with strict rules governing how wills must be written, witnessed and executed. Even minor errors, such as missing signatures or improper wording, can invalidate a will entirely. Experts say AI systems, trained on broad datasets rather than Pennsylvania law, can easily miss those details.
“One of the biggest dangers is false confidence,” Martin said. “People assume that because a document looks professional, it must be legally sound. Unfortunately, many of the most serious problems only surface after someone passes away, when it’s too late to correct them.”
Among the most common risks tied to AI-generated wills are improper execution, vague or conflicting language, failure to account for state-specific inheritance rules, and overlooking complex family dynamics such as blended families or dependents with special needs. In those cases, estates can be pushed into probate court, delaying distributions and draining assets through legal fees.
The Choice Mutual survey highlights how quickly attitudes toward automated legal tools are changing, even as many households underestimate the complexity of their own finances.
“Even so-called ‘simple’ estates often aren’t simple at all,” Martin said. “Life insurance beneficiaries, digital assets, stepchildren, shared property, and debts all introduce complexity that generic AI tools aren’t designed to handle.”
Because wills are rarely reviewed until after the author dies, mistakes often emerge at the worst possible moment, when families are grieving and conflicts are hardest to resolve. If a will fails, courts may default to Pennsylvania’s intestacy laws, distributing property in ways that may contradict the person’s intentions.
Martin said AI can still play a role in estate planning if used carefully.
“AI can be a helpful starting point for learning or organizing your thoughts,” he said. “But it shouldn’t replace professional review when it comes to estate planning.”
He recommends that anyone using AI for a will treat the output as a draft, verify state requirements, seek review from a qualified estate planning attorney and revisit the document as life circumstances change.
As AI tools continue to spread into sensitive areas of personal finance and law, experts say consumers need to weigh convenience against the risk of costly, irreversible mistakes.
“The cost savings people expect from AI can disappear instantly if a will fails,” Martin said. “Estate planning is about protecting the people you love. That’s not something you want resting on untested assumptions or automated guesswork.”
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