This article by Margaret Watson, recently retired Academic Services Librarian at the Bodleian Library, is based upon her talk at the 2025 BIALL Conference in Birmingham and concerns the ethics of using generative AI in an academic law environment. Here she asks whether this is actually desirable, while also considering whether it risks undermining the originality and quality of a student’s work. She also asks if students, who will ultimately seek employment off the back of their academic achievements, should be given the chance to develop a hands-on understanding of the strengths, weaknesses and practical applications of generative AI. Finally, this piece also considers whether it is possible to resolve the perceived tension between academia and professional practice when it comes to AI and, if so, how will this be done? Incidentally, ‘never in a rain of pigs pudding’ is a Birmingham expression meaning that something will never happen.