ChatGPT’s Ability to Fabricate Cases Surprised Me

A New York lawyer named Steven Schwartz is facing potential sanctions after using a language AI model known as ChatGPT to create a fabricated legal brief. In this case, Schwartz’s submitted a brief that cited non-existent court decisions like Varghese v. China Southern Airlines,” which were all generated by ChatGPT. Schwartz, who has been practicing law since 1991, petitioned the judge that he falsely believed the artificial intelligence tool was simply a super search engine. He claimed he was duped by ChatGPT, which had ensured him that the cases were real. The New York Times reported that the hearing held to discuss the case was attended by a crowded room of lawyers, law students, and lecturers.
Ronald Minkoff, the representative for Schwartz and his law firm, contended that the filing was careless rather than maliciously intentioned. David Lat, a legal scholar, mentioned that the case has spread throughout the legal sector like a car wreck. The judge, Kevin Castel, did not make an immediate ruling on Schwartz and his colleague Peter LoDuca‘s sanctions. The judge claimed he would do so at a later date. However, it is guaranteed that Schwartz’s reputation has been significantly damaged as a result of this incident. As artificial intelligence and natural language processing advance, it is crucial that those who utilize it are careful, informed, and understand the technology’s limitations to avoid future issues.