US judge fines lawyers for using ChatGPT to produce fake legal history

The dark side of artificial intelligence (AI) was seen in an unprecedented case when a fine of $5,000 was imposed on two lawyers and a law firm as they were accused of using ChatGPT for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.

A federal judge P Kevin Castel on Thursday (June 22) said that the intention of the lawyers was not good and they acted in bad faith.However, the judge further said that they issued an apology and also took appropriate steps to fix the issue.

He said the main aim was to set an example for them and others so that the same mistake doesn't get repeated in future - a reason why harsher sanctions were not issued against them.

As quoted by local reports, Castel wrote, "Technological advances are commonplace and there is nothing inherently improper about using a reliable artificial intelligence tool for assistance. But existing rules impose a gatekeeping role on attorneys to ensure the accuracy of their filings."

According to the judge, the lawyers and their firm, Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, P.C., "abandoned their responsibilities when they submitted non-existent judicial opinions with fake quotes and citations created by the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, then continued to stand by the fake opinions after judicial orders called their existence into question."

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Meanwhile, the law firm responded to the judge's order, stating that they would comply with it. However, they also said that they "respectfully disagree" with the finding that "anyone at our firm acted in bad faith".

The firm added, "We have already apologised to the court and our client. We continue to believe that in the face of what even the court acknowledged was an unprecedented situation, we made a good faith mistake in failing to believe that a piece of technology could be making up cases out of whole cloth."

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