When someone is hurt in a crash, by medical malpractice, or in a dangerous workplace, the first instinct today is often not to call a friend or another lawyer for a referral. It’s to ask Google, ChatGPT, or another AI tool:
“Who is the best personal injury lawyer near me?”
Behind the scenes, law firms and marketing companies are racing to game those systems — using AI-driven content, social media automation, and “generative engine optimization” to steer injured people toward certain firms long before a real lawyer ever earns their trust.
This article walks through how that works, how it’s showing up in Maryland, what kinds of lawsuits and regulatory actions we’re already seeing around misleading lawyer advertising, and what you can do to protect yourself as a client.
From SEO to “Generative Engine Optimization”: How AI Replaced Old-School Research
For years, law firms competed for clients via something I like to call “subject matter expertise.” Personal injury lawyers like me set up websites that showed potential clients our qualifications, experience, knowledge base, and results, and client reviews regarding case types. We put as much helpful and useful information on our websites ourselves, our firms and our strategic differentiators as could for two reasons: (1) to show the Google search algorithm that we are a trusted expert on the subject matter being researched by the potential client so Google would provide our firm as a possible “answer” the potential client’s question; and (2) to give the potential client information about us to make an intelligent decision about whether or not we may be a good fit for their legal needs.
Makes sense, right? Give Google what it needed to feel good about putting you in front of the potential customer, and the give the potential customer what he/she needed to decide if you are the right choice for them. Of course, this model allowed Google to “decide” what law firms it would serve up for the potential client to consider, it at least still had an “experience based” criteria for doing so.
Not anymore. Now, thanks to AI, search engines have become answer engines. Woth a goal of “making things easier” for people, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Bing Copilot, and AI overviews in Google search just serve up “answers” to questions instead of “possible choices” from which and answer may be available to the individual asking the question.
Why does this matter? Because the AI algorithm is not doing what you think it is doing. It is not picking the best law firm for you or for your case. It is simply “trusting” the information it is reading on the internet to reach a conclusion mandated by the information. Therefore, the answers it is giving you are only as good as the information it is using to provide them. And that information can be, and is being, manipulated by firms competing for your business.
Legal marketing companies have now started to openly pitch AI-powered strategies to law firms in Maryland. For example:
- National legal marketing agencies promote AI-powered law firm marketing and “generative engine optimization (GEO)” — website content structured specifically so AI tools will quote or favor the firm when users ask for legal help. (MileMark Legal Marketing)
- Some vendors describe their services as optimizing law firm content so it appears in answers generated by ChatGPT and other large language models, not just in traditional Google results. (Law Firm Tips)
Law schools and bar organizations have also acknowledged this reality. The University of Maryland has noted that firms can use ChatGPT to generate marketing materials and attract potential clients, while warning that lawyers must understand the risks and supervise the technology. (University of Maryland School of Law)
In other words, when you ask an AI, “Who’s a good lawyer in Baltimore for a truck accident?” you’re not necessarily getting a neutral list of the “best” lawyers — you’re seeing firms that have invested money in content and optimization designed to influence exactly that answer.
How Law Firms Game AI and Social Media
Most lawyers using AI marketing tools are trying to compete in a crowded marketplace, not to deceive clients. But the incentives are powerful, and they push in some worrying directions. Here are the main tactics:
- Mass-Produced AI Content That Looks “Helpful” but Says Very Little
Modern AI tools can draft hundreds of blog posts, FAQs, and “resource pages” about common legal issues in minutes. Marketing platforms aimed at law firms encourage using ChatGPT and similar tools for this purpose. (CasePeer)
The goal isn’t necessarily to educate you — it’s to:
- Cover every keyword (“Baltimore spinal cord injury lawyer,” “Maryland rear-end collision attorney,” etc.)
- Provide just enough surface-level information that AI systems and search engines see the content as “authoritative”
- Funnel you into a quick call or form submission before you compare other firms
That flood of generic AI-written content can crowd out smaller firms that don’t play the volume game, even if those smaller firms have stronger track records or better client service.
- Optimizing for AI Answers, Not Human Understanding
Law firm marketing vendors now talk openly about AI optimization and GEO — structuring pages, headlines, and internal links so AI tools will favor specific sites when synthesizing answers. (themodernfirm.com)
In practice, that can mean:
- Repeating specific phrases a consumer might type into an AI chat (“best birth injury lawyer in Maryland”)
- Building long “guides” that look like consumer education but are primarily designed to signal authority to AI systems
- Emphasizing broad geographic coverage to capture searches outside the firm’s true core practice area
To a consumer, this content can look like a neutral, educational article. To the marketing team, it’s closer to “bait” for AI engines.
- AI Chatbots and Voice Agents as 24/7 Intake Machines
Maryland-oriented marketing companies promote “sophisticated, AI-powered chatbots” that answer legal questions and capture leads on law firm websites around the clock. (PaperStreet)
Other vendors pitch AI “intake agents” and voice bots that talk to potential clients, screen cases, and push the caller toward scheduling a consultation — often before they’ve meaningfully compared other firms. (dominatemarketing.io)
There’s nothing inherently wrong with using a chatbot to answer basic questions. The problem comes when:
- The bot presents scripted, one-sided information
- It glosses over conflicts or limitations in the firm’s experience
- It steers you into signing a fee agreement before you’ve had a real conversation with a lawyer
- AI + Social Media: Hyper-Targeted, Highly Polished Outreach
AI tools make it easy to churn out endless social media posts, short videos, and ad variants tuned for platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. Marketers encourage law firms to combine AI-written copy with paid social campaigns targeting people in specific zip codes or demographics. (acceleratenow.com)
Some risks:
- Posts can be drafted to push emotional buttons (“Big pharma is lying to you,” “Your doctor may have hidden this”) to drive calls, not to inform
- Firms can pay to appear repeatedly in your feed after a crash or diagnosis based on data brokers and ad targeting
- The line between “information” and “solicitation” becomes blurry, especially when AI helps mimic a conversational tone
State bar regulators are starting to respond. For example, one 50-state overview of AI-generated lawyer ads notes that if AI produces misleading language or omits required disclaimers, the lawyer is still responsible and may face discipline. (lafleur.marketing)
Maryland: Real-World Examples of AI-Driven Legal Marketing
Rather than accusing specific firms of wrongdoing, it’s more helpful — and fair — to look at public examples of how AI and AI-themed content are being used in Maryland’s legal marketplace.
Marketing Agencies Selling AI to Maryland Firms
Several marketing companies explicitly sell AI-focused services into Maryland:
- MileMark Media describes “Maryland law firm AI marketing,” emphasizing AI technology, SEO, and “Generative Engine Optimization” for Maryland practices. (MileMark Legal Marketing)
- PaperStreet markets Maryland law firm services, including AI-powered chatbots that answer Maryland-specific legal questions and capture leads 24/7. (PaperStreet)
- Other agencies promote Maryland law firm marketing with SEO, content creation, and AI optimization specifically aimed at ranking for high-intent, geo-targeted legal searches. (Accel Marketing Solutions)
These services aren’t automatically unethical. But they show how much of what AI tools say about “Maryland lawyers” may be shaped by who is paying for AI-oriented optimization.
How Injured People Can Push Back: Don’t Let AI Pick Your Lawyer
The practical question is simple: if AI and social media are saturated with optimized law firm messaging, how do you protect yourself?
A few concrete steps:
- Treat AI answers as a starting point, not a final decision.
Use ChatGPT, Google, or AI overviews to build a list — then dig deeper on your own. - Look for real experience, not just content volume.
- Have they tried serious cases to verdict, or do they mostly settle quickly?
- Do they regularly handle your type of case (birth injury, truck crash, medical malpractice), or just mention it on a generic list?
- Check independent signals.
- State bar discipline history
- Judicial opinions where the firm appeared
- Independent reviews that talk about communication, honesty, and results — not just “great ad” or “funny commercials”
- Beware of high-pressure AI or live intake.
If a chatbot or call center pushes you to sign a fee agreement before you’ve met the lawyer or seen the contract, that’s a red flag. - Ask direct questions.
- “Will I actually work with a lawyer in Maryland, or will my case be referred out?”
- “How many cases like mine have you handled in the last five years?”
- “Who will be my actual point of contact?”
The right firm will welcome those questions and answer them clearly.
How D’Amore Personal Injury Law Can Help
When hospitals, trucking companies, or negligent drivers change your life, you deserve more than an algorithmically optimized sales pitch. You deserve a real trial lawyer who will look you in the eye, understand your story, and give candid advice about your options.
At D’Amore Personal Injury Law, the focus is on:
- Real, human case evaluation.
Technology — including AI — can help organize records or research issues, but decisions about your case are made by experienced lawyers, not bots. - Depth in serious injury and wrongful death cases.
The firm concentrates on complex personal injury and medical malpractice matters, including cases involving hospitals, nursing homes, and catastrophic injuries, so you aren’t treated like just another file in a high-volume pipeline. - Client-centered communication.
You work with a legal team that explains the process in plain language, keeps you updated, and makes sure you — not a chatbot — understand what’s happening and why. - Accountability for unsafe systems, including AI.
When hospitals, insurers, or other corporations use AI or automated systems in ways that hurt patients and families, D’Amore Personal Injury Law can investigate how those systems failed and hold the responsible parties to account through the civil justice system.
If you or a loved one has been injured and you’re worried that slick AI-driven marketing may be obscuring your real options, you can talk to D’Amore Personal Injury Law directly. A conversation with a real lawyer is still the best “search engine” you have.